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.

Very often, artists who reach star level with a debut album fail miserably with the follow up work. Avoiding this trap was exactly the challenge that Phase II posed to the popular Bachata singer Prince Royce. After listening to Phase II, I think Prince Royce was able to meet that challenge with a production that consolidates the style of his self-titled debut album. The following is an overview of the way he managed that challenge.

Keeping The StylePhase II is an album that maintains the style Prince Royce consolidated with his previous work. This 'conservative' approach usually pays well for artists who hit the market with a hugely popular debut album. Just like the previous album, Phase II is a bilingual production defined by its romantic appeal.

Thanks to songs like the already popular hit "Las Cosas Pequenas" and additional singles such as "Eres Tu," "Dulce" and "Mi Habitacion," Prince Royce is able to reinforce a unique style defined by his fresh voice, romantic style, and soft Bachata arrangements.

Innovative Stuff Although Phase II maintains the style that Prince Royce has been defining since its debut work, there are a couple of songs featuring innovative elements that enhance the appeal of the whole album. One of them is "Incondicional," a single featuring a nice mix of traditional Mexican music with Bachata. Even though the sounds of Bachata prevails in the whole melody, the guitars and trumpets in the background add a nice flavor to this song.

Another interesting song is "Memorias," a track that combines Bolero with Bachata that reminds me of some of the famous Bachata-Bolero songs produced by Juan Luis Guerra. Both "Incondicional" and "Memorias" provide very romantic lyrics. This romanticism is one of the most evident imprints of this production.

Bachata Pop Phase II is marked by a sound where very often Bachata meets Latin Pop music. There is a good amount of tracks on this album that could easily make it to the top 40 charts as Pop songs rather than Bachata tracks.

Some of these singles include titles like "Addicted," "Close To You" and "It's My Time". In fact, if you listen to these songs without knowing who Prince Royce is, you would not be able to guess this is an album dealing with Bachata music.

Although I personally like the soft melody and nice guitar playing of the song "Addicted," I think the other tracks represent the weakest side of this album. They sound a bit too mainstream and commercial to me. I think there are thousands of songs out there with the beats of those tracks. In other words, I think Prince Royce is as his best when he gets closer to the sounds of Bachata.

'Phase II' - Bottom Line I think the most important thing Prince Royce achieved with Phase II was that of producing an album capable of meeting the expectations that he created with his debut album. With Phase II, the Bachata star consolidated his unique style and I would not be surprised if several of the tracks included on this album become hit songs in the near future.

Somehow, Phase II sounds a bit more Pop than Prince Royce. This element is reinforced by tracks that have a very mainstream, commercial style. Although I think this is the weakest part of this album, this can be normal for an artist who has transformed Bachata music into a mainstream phenomenon.

'Phase II' - Best Tracks

• "Incondicional"
  
• "Las Cosas Pequenas"
  
• "Addicted"
  
• "Memorias"
  
• "Hecha Para Mi"
  
• "Dulce"
  
• "Mi Habitacion"