Juan Luis Guerra - Best Songs

A Selection of Merengue and Bachata Hits from The Dominican Artist

I have selected the following Juan Luis Guerra songs to give you an overall idea of the sound that this Dominican artist has forged throughout his prolific music career. Being one of themost influential Latin music artists in history, Juan Luis Guerra has extensively shaped with his music different Tropical genres such as Merengue, Bachata and Salsa. The following tracks are some of the best songs ever produced by the Dominican icon.

10. "Como Abeja Al Panal"...
"Como Abeja Al Panal" is a hit song that belongs to the early repertoire of Juan Luis Guerra. This track offers a nice combination of Bachata, Bolero and Salsa. Juan Luis Guerra recorded this with his legendary group 440.

9. "Mi Bendicion"...
"Mi Bendicion" is one of the best tracks included in the 2010 album A Son De Guerra. The song, which is defined by the melody of a very romantic Bachata, includes beautiful lyrics. This single is a good sample to fully appreciate the poetic style that Juan Luis Guerra has consolidated throughout his career.

8. "Buscando Visa Para Un Sueño"...
This track is one of the most popular songs ever produced by Juan Luis Guerra. "Buscando Visa Para Un Sueño" is a single defined by a very uplifting Merengue beat. A good song to dance to but also a single whose lyrics are reflective about the desire to move away from a context where opportunities are scarce. The songs deals with the desire that many people have of getting a US visa so they can move north and dream with better future.

7. "Woman Del Callao"...
Another great Merengue track, "Woman Del Callao" is one of the best Juan Luis Guerra songs to play in a Latin party. This single offers a very nice percussion and brass sections. Juan Luis Guerra added a nice touch to this song by singing it in English and Spanish.

6. "El Costo De La Vida"...
"El Costo De la Vida" is one of the best parodies that Juan Luis Guerra has ever written. Because of its fast Merengue beat, this single is an ideal song to dance to. However, "El Costo De La Vida" is also a reflection about the cost of living and the struggles that regular people have to deal with. In other words, this song offers a critical picture of Latin American society.

5. "Bachata Rosa"...
If not the most romantic tune, "Bachata Rosa" is definitely at the top of the most romantic Juan Luis Guerra songs. The melody is marked by the typical Bachata-Bolero sound that Juan Luis Guerra has established as one of his most distinctive musical features. The poetic lyrics are about expressing one's love.

4. "Ojala Que Llueva"...
"Ojala Que Llueva" is one of the most popular and beautiful songs ever written by Juan Luis Guerra. Besides the pleasant Merengue beat that defines the whole melody, the lyrics of this song are a poem that describes the beautiful and lively natural landscape of the Dominican Republic. I think this is one of the best pieces ever produced in Latin music.

3. "Burbujas De Amor"...
Just like "Bachata Rosa," this song is also at the top of the most romantic Juan Luis Guerra songs. "Burbujas De Amor," which is also defined by the Bachata-Bolero style we previously mentioned, is an essential track of the early repertoire produced by the Dominican superstar. This song is also one of the most influential tracks in the long and successful career of Juan Luis Guerra.

2. "Bachata En Fukuoka"...
"Bachata En Fukuoka" is the biggest hit included in the album A Son De Guerra. The melody is shaped by a nice Bachata beat and the lyrics, which include some Japanese words, provide Bachata with a sort of global appeal. Musically speaking, this is one of the best Juan Luis Guerra songs. There is also a nice Salsa segment that adds a nice flavor to this song.

1. "La Bilirrubina"...
Another track from his early repertoire, "La Bilirrubina" is one of the most enduring Juan Luis Guerra songs. Its fast Merengue beat makes of this track another ideal song for a night of dancing. Because of its picturesque lyrics, "La Bilirubina" is one of the most peculiar love songs ever written. In a funny way, it describes the symptoms related to being in love, which includes a high level of bilirubin.

Shakira's Biggest Hits on the Mainstream Pop Charts...

Shakira was already a huge Latin star when she crossed over into the US mainstream pop charts. Most of her biggest hits on the US pop singles charts were recorded in English. This is a list of the ten biggest of those songs. Highest chart ranking on the Billboard Hot 100 is included.

1. "Hips Don't Lie" featuring Wyclef Jean - 2006 - #1
"Hips Don't Lie" begins with Wyclef Jean's 2004 release "Dance Like This." Shakira wrote new segments and the song was re-christened "Hips Don't Lie" fusing reggaeton with salsa and Cumbia dance styles. The result was a worldwide smash hit single. The song became Shakira's first #1 pop hit in both the US and the UK. That made her the first South American artist to hit #1 in the US. "Hips Don't Lie" was a #1 hit in dozens of countries around the world and was performed for a worldwide television audience at the 2006 World Cup Final in Berlin, Germany.

2. "Beautiful Liar" with Beyonce - 2007 - #3
Beyonce has stated in interviews that she and Shakira met at various awards shows through the year and expressed the desire to create a musical collaboration. The opportunity presented itself in recording a new song for the re-issue of Beyonce's hit album B'Day. The result was a top three hit single that was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and an MTV Video Music Awards citation for Most Earth-Shattering Collaboration. The song was recorded in both English and Spanish versions.

3. "Whenever, Wherever" - 2001 - #6
"Whenever Wherever" was released as the first single from Shakira'sfirst English language album Laundry Service. It became her breakthrough single in English language markets around the world reaching #2 in the UK and the top 10 in the US. The song hit #1 in 29 different countries. A Spanish language version titled "Suerte" (meaning "lucky") was recorded as well.

4. "Underneath Your Clothes" - 2002 - #9
"Underneath Your Clothes" was the second single from Shakira's albumLaundry Service. The video accompanying the song was directed by fashion photographer Herb Ritts. The video poignantly depicts Shakira's loneliness as a recording artist on tour.

5. "She Wolf" - 2009 - #11
"She Wolf" is the first single and title song from Shakira's third English language studio album. The song uses strong influences from classic disco to depict the sexual animal lurking inside a woman. "She Wolf" debuted at #34 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest debut for Shakira thus far in her career.

6. "La Tortura" featuring Alejandro Sanz - 2005 - #23
Shakira's "La Tortura" is the biggest selling Spanish language single in the US. It has sold over a million digital copies in the US alone. The song spent a phenomenal 25 weeks at the top of the Hot Latin Songs chart. "La Tortura" was nominated at the Latin Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. It was also the first Spanish language song to receive nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards. "La Tortura" was the first single from the album Fijacion Oral, Volume 1.

7. "Give It Up To Me" featuring Lil Wayne - 2009 - #29
Shakira turned in a hip hop direction for this song. Timbaland produced the recording, and, in a surprise to the music executives, Lil Wayne asked to perform the rap on the song. There were mixed reviews about Shakira shifting away from her usual Latin style. "Give It Up To Me" was certified gold for over 500,000 digital downloads.

8. "Loca" featuring Dizzee Rascal - 2010 - #32
"Loca" was released as the lead single from Shakira's bilingual albumSale el Sol. There is a Spanish version that features vocals from El Cata and the English version that features vocals from the UK's Dizzee Rascal. The song is an interpretation of El Cata's "Loca Con Su Tiguere." The merengue beats signaled a strong return to Latin sounds for Shakira. "Loca" became her ninth top 40 pop hit in the US. It hit #1 in at least 10 countries around the world.

9. "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)" featuring Freshlyground - 2010 - #38
Shakira was enlisted to put together the official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)" was based on a song titled "Zangalewa" that was a 1986 hit for the Cameroonian group Golden Sounds. Shakira's recording combined Latin and African sounds. The result was a massive worldwide hit. It went to #1 across Europe and was the biggest hit of the year in many European countries. Shakira performed "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)" live at both the opening and closing ceremonies of the World Cup, and, with worldwide sales over four million, the song is considered the biggest World Cup related hit of all time.

10. "Don't Bother" - 2005 - #42
"Don't Bother" was released as the first single from Shakira's English language album Oral Fixation, Volume 2. It became particularly notable for the steamy accompanying music video. Although "Don't Bother" failed to reach the top 40 in the US, it was a top 10 smash in many countries around the world.

The popular Reggaeton duo Wisin y Yandel is back with one of the most anticipated Latin music albums of 2012. The following is an overview of Lideres, a 15-track CD that consolidates the unique combination of Reggaeton and Dance music that the Puerto Rican duo has been building during the last years.

A Modern Latin Urban Work Lideres represents a good example of what we can consider a modern Latin Urban music album. This production offers a good balance between the original flavors of Reggaeton and a sound shaped by defined Dance beats that can be heard throughout the whole album.

The different artists featured in this work respond to that idea. They include Pop diva Jennifer Lopez, Hip-Hop artist Chris Brown, fellow Reggaeton and Latin Urban artists O'Neill and Franco 'El Gorila,' and the famous rapper and producer T-Pain.

Besides the already popular hit "Follow The Leader," featuring J.Lo, other dancing tracks include titles like "Tu Nombre," "Algo Me Gusta De Ti," featuring Chris Brown and T-Pain, "No Te Detengas," and "Una Bendicion," among others.

On the Reggaeton side, there are singles clearly defined by this style including "Hipnotizame," "Peligro," "Prende," featuring Franco 'El Gorila' and O'Neill, and "Musica Buena". I personally like better the Reggaeton tracks on this album but that is just my own preference. I think this album pleases both Reggaeton and Latin Pop fans.


Closer to Latin PopLideres is also an album that closes the gap between Latin Urban music and Latin Pop. In fact, several of the tracks on this work can be easily placed among top 40 hits. An example of this is "Follow The Leader," a track that has enjoyed enormous popularity as a top hit in the Latin Pop category.

Another song that places this album closer to the Latin Pop realm is the romantic single "Perdon." This track, which is definitely a Pop song, allows Wisin y Yandel to bring a new musical dimension to this album. The single "Un Beso" is another track that allows the idea to further explore this dimension.

Overall, Lideres is an album that offers a good mix of a little bit of Reggaeton, Dance music and Latin Pop. Considering this mix is what is making Latin Urban music so popular today, Lideresdoes a good job in delivering just what the people want.


'Lideres' - Bottom LineThe first thing to say about Lideres is that this is a very commercial, mainstream album. If you are into this kind of music, you are going to like this album. If you are not, you better stay away from this work.

That said, I believe Wisin y Yandel delivered a solid work. Lideres could be anything but boring. In fact, time flies when you are listening to this CD, which I think is a good sign of its general appeal. The exhilarating combination of sounds that Lideres offers will force you to move your body at some point even if you do not feel like it. In other words, this is a fun album to listen and dance to. I expect to see several of these tracks moving up to the top of the music charts.

'Lideres' - Best Tracks

• "Hipnotizame"
• "Algo Me Gusta De Ti"
• "Peligro"
• "Follow The Leader"
• "Rumba"
• "Prende"
• "Musica Buena"
• "Un Beso"
• "Vengo Acabando"