If you are Dominican and have been alive through the Eighties and ’90s, chances are high Juan Luis Guerra‘s hits turned the soundtrack of your life. They’d play at each household operate, throughout lengthy automobile rides, or on the seashore, and he was possible your mami’s favourite artist to blast throughout her Saturday morning cleansing rituals. Throughout his prolific and four-decade profession, Guerra has not solely reinvented the tropical rhythms of his native Dominican Republic alongside his band 4.40, however he is additionally reached audiences method past simply the Dominican group. With 30 million-plus albums bought all over the world and greater than 20 Latin Grammy wins, Guerra has turn out to be a legend within the Latin music house and never only for his poetic lyrics — he is sometimes called the Pablo Neruda of merengue and bachata — but additionally for by no means being afraid to innovate or coloration outdoors of the traces of what “Dominican music” is meant to sound like. His new EP, “Radio Güira,” which was launched earlier this month, proves simply that.
“Radio Güira” was impressed by each a radio present Guerra had years in the past, in addition to his love for the güira, a percussion instrument that is typically performed in Dominican folklore music. The progressive EP additionally consists of interludes, radio-style commercials, and even one in every of Guerra’s favourite habichuelas guisadas recipes by Nuna, the lady who cooks in his residence. You hear her reciting the recipe within the intro to the “Cositas de Amor” observe.
“I had a radio [show] within the Dominican Republic referred to as Radio Viva and it performed music from the continents. Then once I began engaged on the album, [and] I noticed it was a variety of new issues — issues I have never finished earlier than,” Guerra tells POPSUGAR. “[With] ‘MAMBO 23,’ we had by no means finished merengue that quick. We started mixing it with classical, including French horn to the violins, which usually shouldn’t be finished, and [we] assorted the orchestration.”
Guerra has been fusing totally different sounds and genres because the ’80s, when virtually no different Latin music artist — not to mention a Dominican artist — was daring sufficient to strive. It’s what has contributed to his signature sound. If a Juan Luis Guerra music performs on the radio, even when it is your first time listening to it, you will simply acknowledge it as one in every of his. And with “Radio Güira,” there is a celebration of each old skool and new college Guerra. It fuses genres like mambo, merengue, rock and even jazz.
“I attempted very laborious to attach with a youthful viewers on this album. I’ve already linked with different audiences, those that may hearken to my music as a result of they prefer it — thank God. But I wished to attach with a youthful one,” Guerra says.
Guerra’s inspiration to fuse sounds early in his profession had so much to do with the music he listened to throughout his youth — a variety of it being rock. He was a giant fan of The Beatles rising up, for instance.
“The sound of our guitar, the best way I play guitar, it is extremely rock-oriented inside bachata,” he says. “That’s why our bachata has a unique coloration in comparison with others. I’ve all the time been drawn to mixing totally different genres and I feel the end result was superb [and] a variety of the youthful technology are doing the identical.”
Guerra, who has additionally been in the course of his US tour, is up for 3 Latin Grammy nominations for his music with Colombian artist Fonseca, “Si Tú Me Quieres.” With many years of success beneath his belt, the Dominican artist nonetheless feels humbled by the accolades and help he receives from the group.
“[It’s] a privilege I settle for with a variety of gratitude and fills me with pleasure. I settle for it as a present from God that they’re motivated by my music,” he says. “It is a superb accountability and an ideal privilege on the identical time. Remember that at my age, I had the accountability to set the trail in Europe. . . . When we arrived to Europe, keep in mind, the whole lot was salsa. If we did merenge, to them it was salsa . . . I’ve had the privilege of opening doorways, largely with merengue and bachata as a result of salsa was already identified, and naturally, it’s a privilege for us Dominicans to share our music with them. “
As for his poetic lyrics that may soften anybody’s coronary heart, Guerra credit his religion for the whole lot he is been in a position to write and for carrying him by means of such an extended and profitable profession.
“My religion in Jesus is what holds me. When we collect right here, largely musicians, we pray: ‘Our God, from you comes our capability. Holy spirit take management over the whole lot we’re going to do right here,'” he shares. “Everything you hear is impressed by him. We are merely placing our initiatives in his arms and he directs us.”
With all of the devastation occurring on this planet, Guerra needs listeners to expertise pleasure with “Radio Güira.” He refers back to the EP as “excellent news” that’s a lot wanted within the instances we’re at the moment residing in.
“The aim of each artist is that this music is known. When I discover or once I know {that a} music can rework the lifetime of one other individual, I feel that is once I really feel probably the most pleasure,” he concludes. “When I sing ‘Las Avispas’ [a track off of his 2004 album ‘Para Ti,’ which is entirely dedicated to his faith] and the message is acquired and an individual modifications from unhappy to comfortable, I imagine that is probably the most stunning reward that God may give us musicians. Therefore, to remodel the lives of others is my greatest hope with my music.”
Indeed, remodeling the lives of others by means of music is one thing many would agree Guerra has already finished.
Image Source: Photo By Ricardo Rubio/Europa Press by way of Getty Images