Geovanny Francisco Polanco was born in the city of Nagua, República Dominicana, on November 2, 1974. At the age of 15, living in the Arroyo al Medio Arriba barrio of Nagua, Polanco felt a strong pull to musical expression. His father had long loved to play the accordion, but gave it up after marrying, his wife not a fan of popular Dominican music. Polanco's passion for the folk styles of his country brought the instrument back out of the closet and into his family's daily life.