Juan Luis Guerra y 440

Born on june 7 1957 and raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Baptized with the name Juan Luis Guerra-Seijas given by his parents,
the late basketball player Gilberto Guerra and mother Olga Seijas. 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. At that moment Guerra was a great admirer of very
different musicians like cuban Pablo Milan..s and english rock band
“The Beatles”.


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.


Years later and back in his homeland, Guerra starts working as a
musical composer in television advertising playing guitar next to local
artists like Sonia Silvestre. During these projects he meets singers
Maridalia Hern..ndez, Mariela Mercado and Roger Zayas-Baz..n, regular
voices whom he worked with during recordings. This is how “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 Rodr..guez, dominican buisnessman well-known in the
music industry, offered Juan Luis Guerra his first contract for Karen
Records after watching him perform. 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 m..s lo pienso…t.. (1987). Of course, in due to his
work, recognition and applause started to follow.


During his following studio recording entitled Ojal.. que llueva
caf.. (1989) constant changes in the group’s vocalists immediately make
Guerra the main figure turning them into “Juan Luis Guerra and 4-40”.
Ojal.. que llueva caf.. (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 sue..o, the venezuelan song Woman del Callao previously
performed by the group “Un Solo Pueblo” and the album’s main title
Ojal..…


In the midst of many expectations Guerra released Bachata Rosa
(1990), being the first 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 also
was chosen as one of the presenters of the ceremony for 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.
At the same time, Juan Luis writes and arranges songs for other artists
like mexican singer Luis Miguel with “Hasta que me olvides” featured in
the album Aries and venezuelan performer Emmanuel with the title “No he
podido verte” contained in the album Vida.


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 aqu.. saliera petr..leo”
(trans. If oil came out of this soil), on which panamanian musician
Rub..n 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). 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 M..sica 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.
Fogarat.. (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 (“Fogarat..”, “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 “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 hit 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 Ni..gara en bicicleta” became the most popular
track of the album.


In upcoming years Guerra has 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 Colecci..n Rom..ntica, 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 “T..” that years earlier was known in a merengue version.


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 go round about
half a million copies. Billboard granted it many awards and recently
was awarded with two Latin Grammies in “Best Tropical song” and “Best
Christian album” due to the hit single “Las avispas”.


Since then Guerra has been performing with his “Tour 20 A..os”, his
most extensive one since the Areito Tour in 1993. Celebrating the 20
years of the foundation of the 4.40 Group, the band has visited Aruba,
Curazao, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, United
States, Spain, Holland, Denmark, Italy, Dominican Republic and Chile
totalling 28 succesful concerts. During February 2006, he was the
opening act and special guest for the legendary “Rolling Stones” in San
Juan, Puerto Rico. That same month he performed for the 2nd time in his
career in the Chilean “Festival Vi..a 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
the last song of his concert (“Fragile”) at Altos de Chavon, Dominican
Republic. In May, he joined Alejandro Sanz, Carlos Vives and other
artists in furthering Juanes’ cause “Colombia without mines”, through a
concert successfully held in Los Angeles.


During the second half of 2006, Guerra more than once hit the
number one spot in popularity charts with duets with Diego Torres
(Abriendo caminos) and Man.. (Bendita la luz). This last song with Mana
was a great success, and occupied the number 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 Spain.