Salsa e Merengue (1996): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1996, Salsa e Merengue is a soap series.

What it’s about. The elegant and wealthy Bárbara gives birth to a stillborn child, but never receives the bad news. Her husband, Guilherme, swaps the child's body for that of a baby whose mother is very poor and unable to raise him. Thirty years later, Eugênio, the swapped boy, suffers mercury poisoning, develops leukemia, and needs an urgent bone marrow transplant. But the surgery can only be performed with a donation from a blood relative. Faced with the risk of his son's death, Guilherme tells Bárbara the truth. With everything clarified, the two go in search of Anabel Muñoz, the boy's real mother and the only one who can save his life. Anabel kept her pregnancy a secret, but never forgot the child she had with the unscrupulous Urbano. She is the widow of the Cuban Félix Muñoz and has five other children: Valentim, Remédios, Amparo, Assunção, and Antônio.

Who’s in it. Salsa e Merengue stars Patrícia França as Madalena Sobral, Marcos Palmeira as Valentim Muñoz, Marcello Antony as Eugênio Amarante Paes and Débora Bloch as Teodora Bentes do Gama, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.0/10, Salsa e Merengue has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Salsa e Merengue page.

If you liked it. Fans of Salsa e Merengue tend to enjoy Yo soy Betty, la fea, La hija del Mariachi, Brazil Avenue and El Señor de los Cielos.