Should you’re Dominican and have been alive through the 1980s and ’90s, chances are high Juan Luis Guerra’s hits turned the soundtrack of your life. They’d play at each household perform, throughout lengthy automotive rides, or on the seashore, and he was seemingly your mami’s favourite artist to blast throughout her Saturday morning cleansing rituals. All through his prolific and four-decade profession, Guerra has not solely reinvented the tropical rhythms of his native Dominican Republic alongside his band 4.40, however he is additionally reached audiences method past simply the Dominican neighborhood. With 30 million-plus albums offered around the globe and greater than 20 Latin Grammy wins, Guerra has change into a legend within the Latin music area and never only for his poetic lyrics — he is sometimes called the Pablo Neruda of merengue and bachata — but in addition for by no means being afraid to innovate or shade exterior of the traces of what “Dominican music” is meant to sound like. His new EP, “Radio Güira,” which was launched earlier this month, proves simply that.

“Radio Güira” was impressed by each a radio present Guerra had years in the past, in addition to his love for the güira, a percussion instrument that is usually performed in Dominican folklore music. The modern EP additionally consists of interludes, radio-style commercials, and even certainly one of Guerra’s favourite habichuelas guisadas recipes by Nuna, the lady who cooks in his house. You hear her reciting the recipe within the intro to the “Cositas de Amor” monitor.

“I had a radio [show] within the Dominican Republic known as Radio Viva and it performed music from the continents. Then once I began engaged on the album, [and] I spotted it was quite a lot of new issues — issues I have never performed earlier than,” Guerra tells POPSUGAR. “[With] ‘MAMBO 23,’ we had by no means performed merengue that quick. We started mixing it with classical, including French horn to the violins, which usually isn’t performed, and [we] diverse the orchestration.”

Guerra has been fusing completely different sounds and genres for the reason that ’80s, when virtually no different Latin music artist — not to mention a Dominican artist — was daring sufficient to attempt. It is what has contributed to his signature sound. If a Juan Luis Guerra track performs on the radio, even when it is your first time listening to it, you will simply acknowledge it as certainly one of his. And with “Radio Güira,” there is a celebration of each old style and new college Guerra. It fuses genres like mambo, merengue, rock and even jazz.

“I attempted very laborious to attach with a youthful viewers on this album. I’ve already linked with different audiences, those that can take heed to my music as a result of they prefer it — thank God. However I wished to attach with a youthful one,” Guerra says.

Guerra’s inspiration to fuse sounds early in his profession had lots to do with the music he listened to throughout his youth ­— quite a lot of it being rock. He was an enormous fan of The Beatles rising up, for instance.

“The sound of our guitar, the best way I play guitar, it is rather rock-oriented inside bachata,” he says. “That is why our bachata has a special shade in comparison with others. I’ve at all times been drawn to mixing completely different genres and I believe the end result was superb [and] quite a lot of the youthful technology are doing the identical.”

Guerra, who has additionally been in the midst of his US tour, is up for 3 Latin Grammy nominations for his track with Colombian artist Fonseca, “Si Tú Me Quieres.” With a long time of success beneath his belt, the Dominican artist nonetheless feels humbled by the accolades and assist he receives from the neighborhood.

“[It’s] a privilege I settle for with quite a lot of gratitude and fills me with pleasure. I settle for it as a present from God that they’re motivated by my music,” he says. “It’s a nice duty and a terrific privilege on the identical time. Keep in mind that at my age, I had the duty to set the trail in Europe. . . . After we arrived to Europe, keep in mind, every part was salsa. If we did merenge, to them it was salsa . . . I’ve had the privilege of opening doorways, largely with merengue and bachata as a result of salsa was already identified, and naturally, it’s a privilege for us Dominicans to share our music with them. “

As for his poetic lyrics that may soften anybody’s coronary heart, Guerra credit his religion for every part he is been capable of write and for carrying him by means of such a protracted and profitable profession.

“My religion in Jesus is what holds me. After we collect right here, largely musicians, we pray: ‘Our God, from you comes our capability. Holy spirit take management over every part we’re going to do right here,'” he shares. “All the things you hear is impressed by him. We’re merely placing our tasks in his arms and he directs us.”

With all of the devastation occurring on this planet, Guerra needs listeners to expertise pleasure with “Radio Güira.” He refers back to the EP as “excellent news” that’s a lot wanted within the instances we’re presently residing in.

“The objective of each artist is that this music is known. Once I discover or once I know {that a} track can rework the lifetime of one other particular person, I believe that is once I really feel probably the most pleasure,” he concludes. “Once I sing ‘Las Avispas’ [a track off of his 2004 album ‘Para Ti,’ which is entirely dedicated to his faith] and the message is acquired and an individual adjustments from unhappy to completely satisfied, I imagine that is probably the most lovely present that God may give us musicians. Due to this fact, to rework the lives of others is my greatest hope with my music.”

Certainly, reworking the lives of others by means of music is one thing many would agree Guerra has already performed.