Las Vegas (NV), .- Juan Luis Guerra publishes tomorrow “Literal”, a new album in which he brings a more modern touch to his already classic mix of bachata and merengue, and defended in an interview with Efe the validity and future of these two musical genres despite the fashions and the rise of other Latin styles.
“Definitely, they are cyclical rhythms, I would say: one comes, another goes, some last a long time, but they come and go, the merengue and bachata are going to be maintained”, assured the Dominican genius.
“Like salsa, salsa remains, Marc Anthony stays, many good exponents remain, and I always say that, in any genre, you can do good jobs, good letters and good messages,” he added.
Eclectic in both his music and his lyrics, “Literal” is the return of Guerra (Santo Domingo, 1957) after almost five years that have passed since the successful “Everything has its time” (2014), an album with which He won the Latin Grammy to the album of the year.
“Most of them are bachatas and meringues (in” Literal “). There is a salsa, a son and a very romantic song that I dedicated to my son Jean Gabriel”, the artist said on a disc that Efe could hear before its publication.
“Literal” begins with “Kitipún”, the first unveiled single from their new album and which permeates the bachata of synthesizers and aromas close to contemporary pop.
The bachatero rhythm, in which Guerra is a master without equal, has a great prominence in an album that also includes songs like “Cantando bachata” or the romantic as sad “Corazón enamorado”.
“Love can do everything, how glad I am to find you this time, with my heart in love, and the illusion of living by your side, and a shower of kisses, girl, wetting you”, expresses in this song the author of hits like “Bubbles of love “and” I hope it rains coffee. “
But in addition to bachatas there is a lot of merengue in “Literal”, for example with “Lamp for my feet”, a song dedicated to his wife and whose arrangements are reminiscent of Paul Simon of “Graceland” (1986).
The salsa of “Ma pa’alante vive gente” or the son of “Son a mamá” also excel in a recording that tries to add new sound profiles to the traditional style of Juan Luis Guerra and his band 4.40 without betraying their “essence”.
“I tried to get new sounds: synthesizers, drums, and many other sounds and instruments that we do not normally play in bachata, even in merengue as well.” Making that mix of jazz, pop, gospel, that’s what we get: a new sound that does not lose the essence of the group, “he said.
One of the most special and personal themes of “Literal” is “Merengue de Cuna”, which he wrote as a gift for his son Jean Gabriel and who closes the album.
“In the previous CD, I composed a bachata for my daughter Paulina (‘Pretty little girl’) and now I had to do my son’s, although I composed it first, it’s like a lullaby telling her how much I love him, even though it’s a meringue, to be played with guitar only happens almost as if it were a ballad, “he described.
The good news is heaped on Guerra, since in addition to the launch tomorrow of “Literal” he can add the Billboard Award to the Artistic Trajectory that he received last April 25 as part of the Billboard Latin Music Awards 2019 It was held in Las Vegas.
The singer plans to present “Literal” this year with a world tour that will tour countries like the United States or Spain. (EFEUSA)
