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Genre-defying musician Juan Luis Guerra has earned the love and respect of fans by following his heart.

BY CATHERINE FRANKE AND VALENTINA PATRUNO

When a young Juan Luis Guerra Seijas dropped out of his philosophy and literature program at the University of Santo Domingo to study music in the U.S., his mother was hesistant. “We’ll see where this goes,” she told her son.

Where “this” went was straight up—a rocketing 30-year career that has earned him nine Latin Grammys, two Grammys, 10 Billboard Awards and four Latin Billboard Awards. Now, with the release of his 11th studio album and a 2011 tour, the renowned singer-songwriter is pre­paring for a new chapter in his musical life.

“This is a very diverse album, but it’s principally based on the genres of bachata, merengue, mambo, rock, jazz and blues,” Guerra says. “The songs are also varied. There are songs about social criticism, lack of integrity…and lack of honesty. But there are also very
romantic songs.”

MUSICAL BOUNTY

Growing up in the Dominican Republic’s capital city, Santo Domingo, just next door to a theater, Guerra was always surrounded by music. “Even the avocados in the fields sang songs,” he jokes.

Though he had studied piano and guitar as a child, he brought his music to a new level while attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Here, he learned the art of “genre fusion” that would later mark his most commercially and critically
successful works.

His band, a quartet he called 4:40, scored a string of national hits during the early 1980s. But it would be the 1989 debut of his first solo effort, a merengue/bachata blend called Ojala Que Llueva Café (“May It Rain Coffee”), that would bring him to the attention of the Latin American public. His subsequent releases Bachata Rosa, Fogarate, and Para Tí earned him several Grammy wins and solidified his heavyweight status in the merengue world.

In 2007, Guerra released the bilingual La Llave de Mi Corazón (“Key to My Heart”), an ambitious venture that tested the limits of his creativity. Tracks such as the infectious “Como Yo” and the salsera “La Travesía” ranked at the top of the charts in airplay, helping the album clinch more than 20 American and Latin music awards. He was named “Person of the Year” by the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.

INSTRUMENT FOR GOOD

A philanthropist at heart, Guerra turned his professional boon into public service by establishing a non-profit foundation to provide health, education and rehabilitation services to residents of his homeland. For this, he was honored with the “Spirit of Hope” award at the 2005 Billboard Latin Music Awards. More recently he leveraged his superstar power to help launch such high-profile charity events as the “Song of Hope for Haiti” concert, which raised a staggering $2.5 million for a new children’s hospital in the devastated country.

Guerra’s ability to marry disparate sounds in pleasing ways has earned him wide-reaching respect among his peers. He sings in English, Spanish, Portuguese and the Arawakan language and dabbles in everything from gospel lyrics to protest songs to rap. On each recording, Guerra appears to reinvent himself.

“Sometimes it takes me two to six years to compose an album,” he says. “It’s not about the time; it’s about staying fresh. Every time I go into the studio, I try to create a different sound, something innovative.”

THE NEXT LEVEL

His recently released album reflects this ambition. A play on Guerra’s name, the title Asondeguerra means both “to the beat of war” and “to my own beat” and addresses love, war, socio-political awareness and patriotism. The first single, “Bachata en Fukuoka,” pays tribute to the citizens of the Japanese town who enthusiastically welcomed Guerra during a festival last year. There are also notable duets on the album, including “Lola’s Mambo,” with famed jazz trumpeter Chris Botti, and “La Calle,” with Colombian star Juanes.

A recent fixture on the Billboard Latin Music’s Top Ten list, the album has generated a healthy buzz—music to the ears of this maestro. “Every day is a new beginning,” he says. “I’m always thinking that the best is yet to come.”

To sample Juan Luis Guerra’s music, go to myspace.com/juanluisguerra.