Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Juan Luis Guerra: Unparalleled Ingenuity
By Vivian Guerrero
June 21, 2010
Considered to be the most prolific person in his trade by musicologists, Juan Luis Guerra is a multifaceted Dominican composer, producer, vocalist and leader of an orchestra. Guerra was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on July 6, 1956. He is one of the most successful musicians of Latino descent[1] and an accomplished interpreter of bachata and merengue music, two genres native to his homeland. He uses his music to keep his audience abreast about the social and political situation in his native land and Latin America.
Guerra studied philosophy and literature at the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo and afterward studied guitar and music theory at El Conservatorio Nacional de Musica de Santo Domingo. He then traveled to the United States where he continued his music studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston, undertaking courses in jazz, his preferred genre at the time.[2] Guerra began to interpret merengue in 1985 once he and his group, 440, signed with Karen Records. Though he was more interested in jazz, he began to compose and interpret merengue as it was the more marketable and proved to be the more profitable of the two.
Guerra’s music knowledge allows him to compose a merengue that is more refined and compounded than other artists / interpreters of that genre. The themes of his songs also differentiate him from other interpreters. His songs include themes such as the current societal status of Dominican citizens. In “Visa para un sueño” Guerra recounts a story that rings true for many Dominicans, in which he explains how many Dominicans struggle to obtain an American visa to allow them to travel to the United States.[3]
Guerra had a promising career from the moment he began recording, however it was not until the successful smash hit “Ojala que llueva café” that he became a reputable artist by having reached international stardom. At the same time “Ojala que llueva café” ‘refined’ merengue. [4]
In addition to merengue, Guerra also interprets bachata, another popular Dominican music genre. Bachata’s popularity began its rise in the 1970s. Bachata is associated with the barrio and the rural culture, and is also considered by some to be related to other Cuban genres.
In 1989 Guerra composed a jingle for a commercial commissioned by Barceló Company which became an instant hit. When he realized the public’s positive response and liking to his composition, he decided to compose a full song – one of his biggest hits to date – titled “Como Abeja Al Panal”(“As a Bee to the Hive.)
Juan Luis Guerra is proud of the genres he interprets. He is proud to be Dominican and also acknowledges his African, European and Taíno roots. In fact, when the origins of merengue were challenged to the point where many neglected the African influence, Guerra took a stand and stressed the importance of Africa in the development of merengue and ensured that all understood the African influence. He manifested: ‘Unequivocally, you can’t take merengue out of Africa. No matter how much you may want to, you can’t take merengue out of Africa. Forget it-the rhythms are African, period. Of course there are these influences, which are melodic: the melodies are European, the harmony, just like in jazz.’ Even though his music did not include authentic African instruments, nonetheless today’s Dominican instruments like the tambora and congas have their roots in Africa and Guerra’s music and lyrics are heavily influenced by Afro-Dominicans. This is best exemplified in the songs, “A Pedir Su Mano” and “Guavaberry.”[5]
Juan Luis Guerra is a composer, artist, musician, interpreter, arranger, poet, producer who always sends a positive message to his public. He is a role-model who inspires others around him. The impact Juan Luis Guerra has left on Dominican music is unparalleled any other. For Dominicans worldwide it is a privilege and honor to have him represent them internationally.
Edited by Nelson Santana
[1] Waxer, Lise . "Grove Music Online." http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/48890?q=juan+luis+guerra&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit (accessed october 8, 2009).
[2] Waxer, Lise . "Grove Music Online." http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/48890?q=juan+luis+guerra&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit (accessed october 8, 2009).
[3] Deborah Pacini Hernandez, Bachata: A Social History of a Dominican Popular Music(Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1995), 204.
[4] Deborah Pacini Hernandez, Bachata: A Social History of a Dominican Popular Music(Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1995), 204.
[5] Paul Austerlitz, Merengue: Dominican Music and Dominican Identity(Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1995), 110.
Bibliography
Pacini Hernandez, Deborah. Bachata: A Social History of a Dominican Popular.
Music. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1995.
Austerlitz, Paul. Merengue: Dominican Music and Dominican Identity. Philadelphia:
Temple University Press, 1995.
Waxer, Lise . "Grove Music Online." http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ccny-
proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/48890?q=juan+
luis+guerra&se arch=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit (accessed october 8,
2009.)
Dominican Culture in the Lower East Side
Written by Nelson Santana
June 29, 2010
In the United States the summer kicked off on June 21st. The beginning of summer means the arrival of numerous parades and carnivals in which the richness of Dominican culture is celebrated. Between July and August the cities of Perth Amboy, Haverstraw, Miami, Allentown, Lawrence, and Providence among others, and the boroughs of the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn in New York, will celebrate ecstatically Dominican heritage.
This past Friday, June 25th through Saturday, the Dominican Arts Festival took place, an event held to honor the culture and traditions of the Dominican Republic.
Most Dominicans who make New York their home are concentrated in the Bronx and the Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights. This event broke the standard protocol as for the first time it took place in the Lower East Side in Manhattan at the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural & Educational Center, and was sponsored by the New York Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the Dominican Consulate in New York. Fabiola Goris was the principle organizer and Jan Hanvik, director of the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural & Education Center, was instrumental in the event taking place.
Different aspects of Dominican culture were brought to light and celebrated including the music and craftsmanship among other things, and through the documentary ¡A golpe de güiro y tambora! audience members familiarized themselves with some of the most trendsetting Dominicans who at one time or another lived in the United States, specifically New York City. Some of the personalities in the documentary are the painter Scheherazade Garcia, designer Oscar de la Renta, jazz pianist Michel Camilo and author Junot Diaz among many other trailblazers.
Those present had the opportunity to enjoy some of the finest tunes in merengue típico courtesy of Berto Reyes’ trio of accordion, güira and tambora. For many in attendance the most nostalgic moment of the festival was the astonishing performance given by the group. As is customary in Dominican Republic, from the countryside to the tourist areas of Santo Domingo, the perico ripiao of Reyes serenaded all who passed by the entrance of the building, very much like in Dominican airports when merengue tipico groups welcome airplane passengers once they exit the airplane and grace Dominican land.
The festival was an event for children, adults and the whole family as there were workshops and more or less a little bit of everything for everyone.
Mercedes Peralta Polanco showcased her artistry of Taino creations. Her masterpieces are not all Taino but also include other pieces such as the Dominican island. Of course, the collection does not consist of real Taino artifacts as such practice is illegal and those artifacts belong to the country since legally it cannot be owned by an individual, but her creations are replicas of Taino artifacts made from newspapers.
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Joel Brujan and his colleagues spent most of their time teaching those in attendance how to make carnival masks. But for many children and even adults, the most memorable moment of the festival was the Dominican carnival performance by the Unión Carnavalesca de Nueva York, led by Brujan.
For the teenagers, the most memorable exhibit was the artwork of the comic artists. Two entrepreneurial brothers of Dominican descent, Christian and Tony Montalvo, along with their colleague Wilson Ramos Jr., showcased sketches and an oversize mural of images they drew for their comic ¡Fwácata! ¡Fwácata! tells the story of the early inhabitants of Latin America be it Tainos, Aztecs or Incas; the Africans who were subjected to slavery; and the Spaniards. The story then cuts to the present-day. Nevertheless, the message at the end is about hope and how the youths can grasp the world with their hands and have the power to change it.
Some people are under the impression that cultural events in New York City are overly saturated. All to the contrary, the exact opposite is true. Many youths are forgetting their culture and others will never be fully exposed to their culture. Parents, mentors, and educators must take it upon themselves to keep alive Dominican culture and support each other to preserve the culture and history of Quisqueya. Events like the Dominican Arts Festival are events that must not be left to “next time,” because all too often “next time” never comes.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Bronx Dominican Parade
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