Juan Luis Guerra Talks About His New EP “Radio Güira”

If you happen to’re Dominican and had been alive in the course of the Nineteen Eighties and ’90s, likelihood is Juan Luis Guerra’s hits turned the soundtrack of your life. They’d play at each household perform, throughout lengthy automotive rides, or on the seaside, and he was probably your mami’s favourite artist to blast throughout her Saturday morning cleansing rituals. All through 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 means 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 also known as the Pablo Neruda of merengue and bachata — but in addition for by no means being afraid to innovate or coloration exterior 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 contains interludes, radio-style commercials, and even one in every of Guerra’s favourite habichuelas guisadas recipes by Nuna, the girl who cooks in his residence. You hear her reciting the recipe within the intro to the “Cositas de Amor” monitor.

“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 quite a lot of new issues — issues I have not executed earlier than,” Guerra tells POPSUGAR. “[With] ‘MAMBO 23,’ we had by no means executed merengue that quick. We started mixing it with classical, including French horn to the violins, which usually shouldn’t be executed, and [we] diverse the orchestration.”

Guerra has been fusing totally different sounds and genres for the reason that ’80s, when virtually no different Latin music artist — not to mention a Dominican artist — was daring sufficient to attempt. It is 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 fashioned and new faculty 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. However I wished to attach with a youthful one,” Guerra says.

Guerra’s inspiration to fuse sounds early in his profession had quite a bit to do with the music he listened to throughout his youth ­— quite a lot of it being rock. He was an enormous fan of The Beatles rising up, for instance.

“The sound of our guitar, the best way I play guitar, it is vitally rock-oriented inside bachata,” he says. “That is why our bachata has a distinct coloration in comparison with others. I’ve all the time been drawn to mixing totally different genres and I believe the consequence was excellent [and] quite a lot of the youthful era 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 below 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 quite a lot 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’s a nice accountability and an excellent privilege on the similar time. Keep in mind that at my age, I had the accountability to set the trail in Europe. . . . Once we arrived to Europe, keep in mind, every part was salsa. If we did merenge, to them it was salsa . . . I’ve had the privilege of opening doorways, principally 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 every part he is been in a position to write and for carrying him by means of such a protracted and profitable profession.

“My religion in Jesus is what holds me. Once we collect right here, principally musicians, we pray: ‘Our God, from you comes our capability. Holy spirit take management over every part we’re going to do right here,'” he shares. “Every thing you hear is impressed by him. We’re merely placing our tasks in his fingers and he directs us.”

With all of the devastation taking place on the earth, 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 occasions we’re at the moment residing in.

“The objective of each artist is that this music is known. After I discover or once I know {that a} music can rework the lifetime of one other particular person, I believe that is once I really feel probably the most pleasure,” he concludes. “After I sing ‘Las Avispas’ [a track off of his 2004 album ‘Para Ti,’ which is entirely dedicated to his faith] and the message is obtained and an individual adjustments from unhappy to completely happy, I consider that is probably the most stunning reward that God may give us musicians. Subsequently, to rework the lives of others is my largest hope with my music.”

Certainly, remodeling the lives of others by means of music is one thing many would agree Guerra has already executed.