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JUAN LUIS GUERRA
Born and raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on
june 7th 1957. Son of basketball player Gilberto Guerra and
Ms. Olga Seijas (both deceased). In his days of youth Guerra
used to perform at school meetings singing sentimental
songs. After finishing high school he enrolled in Philosophy
and Literature in the Autonomic University of Santo Domingo,
realizing after one year that music was his true vocation,
and changes the course of his studies to the National Music
Conservatory where he finally graduates. Great admirer of
british rock band The Beatles. In “Casa de Teatro”, a
bohemian point for gathering artists, Juan Luis performed
for the first time as a singer/songwriter.
Once he
had finished his studies in the Music Conservatory of Santo
Domingo, Guerra won a scholarship to attend the Berklee
College of Music in Boston, United States, to specialize in
musical arrangement and composition. On this trip many
expectations were at hand, including a letter from a friend
whom in request for a favor Juan Luis should deliver to a
Design student named Nora Vega, who eventually became his
wife and inspiration in many of his songs until today. The
couple has been married ever since and has two children:
Jean-Gabriel Guerra and Paulina Guerra.
Years later and back in his homeland, Guerra started working
as a musical composer for television advertising. During
these projects he meets singers Maridalia Hernández, Mariela
Mercado and Roger Zayas-Bazán, regular voices whom he worked
with during recordings. This is how the “4-40 Group” was
born and immediately released their first album entitled
Soplando (1984). In Juan Luis’s own words this album “was a
fusion between traditional merengue rhythms with jazz
vocalizations very quite like the “Manhattan Transfer” style
from the United States. It’s very slow, not for dancing”.
Even though this LP had poor sales because it didn’t appeal
to the masses, Warner Music re-released it in 1991 under the
title The Original 4-40. These days it’s considered a
collector’s item.
In 1985
Bienvenido Rodríguez, dominican buisnessman well-known in
the music industry, offered Juan Luis Guerra his first
contract for Karen Records after watching him perform live.
This opportunity radically transformed his musical style
directly into commercial merengue. In this new stage Guerra
records the following albums: Mudanza y Acarreo (1985) and
Mientras más lo pienso…tú (1987). Of course, in due to his
work, recognition and applause started to follow. In 1988
Guerra premiered himself as a songwriter for other
performers, with the case of singer Tati Salas whose
participation in the late OTI Festival with the song “De tu
boca” became one of the three finalists. Other songs for
Mexican artists Emmanuel (“No he podido verte”, recorded in
1990) and Luis Miguel (“Hasta que me olvides” in 1993, and
“Te necesito” recorded in 2003) have been critically
acclaimed by audiences.
During his following studio recording entitled Ojalá que
llueva café (1989) constant changes in the group’s vocalists
immediately make Guerra the main figure turning them into
“Juan Luis Guerra and 4-40”. Ojalá que llueva café (trans. I
wish it would rain coffee) represents the
internationalization of Guerra, obtaining sales numbers that
positioned him on top of many Latin American countries with
songs like Visa para un sueño, the venezuelan song Woman del
Callao previously performed by the group “Un Solo Pueblo”
and the album’s main title Ojalá…
In the
midst of many expectations Guerra released Bachata Rosa
(1990), being his first album edited on compact disc and the
most successful from a commercial point of view, selling up
until then 5 million copies and achieving the highest peaks
in his career. The album’s accomplishment filled stadiums
and coliseums all around Latin America and Europe. It became
a Grammy winner, the first for Guerra, who was also chosen
as one of the presenters for the ceremony that year next to
canadien singer Celine Dion. On this recording Juan Luis
gives the “bachata” rhythm world recognition, only known in
dominican territory. Most of the album’s songs are classics
in latin music. “Burbujas de amor”, “Estrellitas y Duendes”
and “La Bilirrubina” traveled the world, among other ones.
A business pact with transnational Polygram record company
(known today as Universal Music) inserted in the brazilian
market the album Romance Rosa (1991), a version of Bachata
Rosa cut for Brazil which included 4 songs translated in
portuguese by lyricist Aloysio Reis, and some other spanish
songs from previous recordings with Karen Records.
Guerra
became a controversial figure in his native Dominican
Republic after releasing Areito (1992), a complete album
allusive to the 500 Anniversary of the Discovery of the
Americas. The song “El costo de la vida” (trans. The cost of
life) manifests the poor conditions in which most Latin
American countries go through, and many of his countrymen
felt these “accusations” did not fit well with Guerra,
arguing he himself has never lived in poverty. Among the
social-criticism based songs like “Si de aquí saliera
petróleo” (trans. If oil came out of this soil), on which
panamanian musician Rubén Blades participates, Juan Luis
also experiments with his sentimental side along the New
York Philharmonic Orchestra and produces two versions of
“Cuando te beso” (trans. When I kiss you). Also, the album
includes a “taino indian” themed song called “Naboria Daca
Mayanimacaná”, with unique ethnic expressions from extinct
native aborigenes. Some come to think that on this moment
the “Guerra Nostalgia” is born, rather than the cheery,
perky songs he had listeners accustomed to on earlier
albums. But this didn’t stop his agitated agenda of live
performances to continue. Backed up by more than 2 million
copies sold, the “Areito Tour” maintained his popularity in
Latin America and strengthened him in Europe touring all
through Spain performing in plazas in Portugal and filling
at full capacity the famous Ahoy Center in Holland. On this
precise moment music was everything for Juan Luis, even more
important than family. His concerts were practically a trip
to another dimension due to the harmony and exquisite sounds
mixed with certain arrangements that made the crowds
delirious. Later on, Guerra mentioned that in those days
sleeping pills were necessary for him because of the
constant anxiety and lack of peace he felt that not even the
amount of awards could satisfy. “On some occasions, touring
continuously made me forget what country I was performing
in” he has stated.
Shortly before Areito, dominican musician Manuel Tejada and
close friend of Juan Luis, released La Música de Juan Luis
Guerra (1992). This album compiled 15 of Guerra’s most
popular hits up until then, as a tribute to him. It was
recorded with the Santo Domingo Philharmonic Orchestra and
several musicians and backup singers who had previously
worked in the 4-40 Group also participated.
Fogaraté (1994) was his next album which had as first single
“La cosquillita” (trans. Little tickle), a fast beat
merengue commonly known as “perico ripiao” with the
collaboration of dominican accordionist Francisco Ulloa. He
also mixed merengue with south African soukus rhythms
(“Fogaraté”, “El beso de la ciguatera”) accompanied by Diblo
Dibala, the famous guitarist from Zaire. This rather
eclectic production introduced Guerra’s first attempt in
singing completely in english with the ballad “July 19th”.
The album had limited commercial response and it didn’t
compete with the accustomed standards on his previous three
records. Various factors jumped to conclusion, with the
theory of Juan Luis’s innovated tendencies that were never
attached to commercial linings, also very little promotion
from the Karen Record company and sadly the growing wish of
Guerra of taking a long term rest from the artistic scene.
Only two concerts came after its launch (Dominican Republic
and Puerto Rico in 1995). He made some promotional
appearances shortly before in Mexico and the San Remo
Festival in Italy.
He retired following his live performance in Puerto Rico in
June of 1995 after a tense business relationship with
Bienvenido Rodriguez that almost ended up in court. He then
starts investing in the media industry acquiring a radio
station called Viva Fm and a television station that
promoted local musical talent called Mango TV. Years later
that same tv station was leased to a North American
franchise of protestant religious programming, due to
Guerra’s beliefs.
A
greatest hits compact disc was released in 1995 titled
“Grandes Exitos de Juan Luis Guerra y 4.40” that obtained
good response in market sales.
What seemed like definitive retirement was broken after 4
silent years when Juan Luis launched Ni es lo mismo ni es
igual (1998) obtaining three Latin Grammy Awards in 2000 on
their inaugural ceremony. With this recording Guerra
positioned “Mi PC” and “Palomita blanca” in consecutive
order on the number #1 spot of Billboard’s “Hot Latin
Tracks”. However “El Niágara en bicicleta” became the most
popular track of the album.
In
upcoming years Guerra had been touring limitedly making
sporadic performances in different countries, a sort of
come-back to the music scenario in a gradual approach, but
always conscious that he will never be submitted to an
intense agenda that perhaps precipitated his retirement on
the highest point of his career.
A romantic compilation of his most tender bachatas and warm
ballads was released in 2001 titled Colección Romántica,
including 4 new versions of previous songs, emphasizing
“Quisiera” which its original rhythm was salsa and now was
transformed into soft-rock, and also the ballad “Tú”
recorded originally as a mid-tempo merengue.
August
of 2004 brought “Para ti”, the first all-studio record
produced by Guerra in six years. The album is completely
dedicated to God in a thankful manner of Juan Luis for
everything he has received after his religion conversion in
1996. Sales numbers round up about a million copies.
Billboard granted it many awards and the Latin Grammy's gave
it “Best Tropical song of the year” due to the hit single
Las Avispas and also “Best Christian album of the year”.
With this comeback Guerra started performing his “Tour 20
Años”, the most extensive one since the Areito Tour in 1993.
Celebrating the 20 years of the foundation of the 4.40
Group, the band visited Aruba, Curazao, Puerto Rico,
Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, United States, Spain,
Holland, Denmark, Italy, Dominican Republic and Chile
totalling 28 succesful concerts.
In 2005
Juan Luis became recipient of the Billboard award “Spirit of
Hope” in recognition of his charity work through the
foundation that bears his name.
During February 2006, he was a special guest star and
opening act performer for the legendary band "The Rolling
Stones" in San Juan, Puerto Rico during their “A Bigger
Band” concert tour. That same month he performed for the 2nd
time in his career in the Chilean “Festival de Viña del Mar”
earning the "Antorcha de Oro" (golden torch) award from the
audience for his memorable performance. In March of that
same year, he performed in the last three concerts of his
tour, in Bogota and Cali, Colombia, and in Hollywood,
Florida at the Hard Rock Live. In April he was honored by
BMI's Singer/Songwriter Association, where he was named a
Music Icon. During that same month, he performed live with
British artist Sting singing Fragile, the last song of his
concert at the Altos de Chavon amphitheatre, in Dominican
Republic. In May, he joined Alejandro Sanz, Carlos Vives and
other artists in furthering Juanes' cause "Colombia without
mines", through a concert held successfully in Los Angeles.
During
the second half of 2006, Guerra more than once hit the
number one spot in popularity charts with duets along Diego
Torres (Abriendo caminos) and Maná (Bendita la luz). This
last song with Maná was a great success, and occupied the #1
spot in Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks. Juan Luis also
participated in the song's video and made a live appearance
with the group during the Latin Grammys and the "Premios
Principales" celebrated in Madrid, Spain.
2007 has been a great year for Juan Luis Guerra. This past
february he received the Excellence Award at “Premios Lo
Nuestro” in recognition for his innovative contribution to
latin music, through his lyrics and musical composition.
Maná handed him the award.
In
march Guerra released worldwide his latest album entitled
“La llave de mi corazón” with the EMI Televisa record
company. On this new album, his most romantic one yet
according to him, Guerra includes diverse rythms such as
mambo, merengue, bachata, salsa, blues, ballads and
folk-merengue. Also includes 2 new songs in english:
“Something good”, a duet with italian jazz singer Chiara
Chivello, and the other one is “Medicine for my soul”, the
english version for “La llave de mi corazón”. With this
move, Guerra proposes himself to appeal in a crossover onto
english-speaking markets.
The album has earned Juan Luis 6 nominations to the 2007
Latin Grammy, making him indisputably the leader for this
year's awards. The album has also been certified gold and
platinum due to sales records in various countries and 3
singles have been promoted officially. “La llave de mi
corazón” became #1 in Billboard's “Hot Latin Tracks” during
4 consecutive weeks, the bachata “Que me des tu cariño”
peaked high at #2 in the same listing and the most recent
single “La travesía” is a merengue that is climbing charts
on the radio. Music videos for all three singles have been
very supportive in their success.
An
intense promotional tour has kept Guerra visiting United
States, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Spain, Mexico, Argentina,
Chile, Brazil and Venezuela, presenting brief showcases of
songs from his new album and giving back to back interviews
for television, radio and newspaper press.
This last quarter of the year is expected to be very special
for Guerra. Apart from the Latin Grammy nominations, Juan
Luis has been selected as “Person of the Year” by the Latin
Recording Academy and will be honored the previous day of
the awards. The ceremony includes the live performance of
his greatest songs by various latin artists.
Celebrating his achievements as a musical icon, the record
label expects to release on october 2nd a special edition of
the album which will include unpublished material and a DVD
with never before seen footage of the recording process of
the album “La llave de mi corazón”. In november a portuguese
version of the album will hit the stores, including duets
with famous brazilian performers Daniela Mercury and Tânia
Mara.
“La travesía” Concert Tour will start next year in the
United States.
Last Updated :
september 23, 07 |
