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"Bachata en Fukuoka" (English: "Bachata in Fukuoka") is the first single released by Juan Luis Guerra for his album A Son de Guerra. It reached number 1 in 2010, the second bachata song in the year to do so.^[2]

Background[link]

"Bachata en Fukuoka" is based on Guerra's experience during his trip to Fukuoka, Japan, where he was performing for the local people.^[3] He wrote the song while there.

Music video[link]

In the video a middle aged Japanese woman makes a journey from the city to the beach. As she travels she gets younger and younger, and in various places she finds a picture of what appears to be a fossilized ammonite or flower.^[4] When she arrives at the beach, she meets what appears to be a Dominican man (possibly Guerra when he was younger) and both share a special bond. The video was directed by Simon Brand.^[1]

Chart performance[link]

Bachata en Fukuoka reached number 1 during the week of June 5, 2010, displacing Diego Torres's song, "Guapa". Bachata en Fukuoka was the second bachata song to reach number 1 during 2010, after Aventura's "Dile al Amor".

References[link]

External links[link]

• Bachata en Fukuoka Entrevista a Juan Luis Guerra

Fukuoka 福岡
—  Designated city  —
福岡市 · Fukuoka City
From top left: Yatai in Nakasu Fukuoka Castle, Hakozaki Shrine Tenjin, Hakata Gion Yamakasa Seaside Momochi and Fukuoka Tower
Flag
Location of Fukuoka in Fukuoka
Fukuoka
Coordinates: 33°35′N 130°24′E / 33.583°N 130.4°E / 33.583; 130.4Coordinates: 33°35′N 130°24′E / 33.583°N 130.4°E / 33.583; 130.4
Country	Japan
Region	Kyushu
Prefecture	Fukuoka
Government
• Mayor	Soichiro Takashima (since December 2010)
Area
• Total	340.03 km2 (131.29 sq mi)
Population (September 1, 2010)
• Total	1,461,631
• Density	4,253.83/km2 (11,017.4/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City Symbols
- Tree	Camphor laurel
- Flower	Camellia
- Bird	Black-headed Gull
Website	www.city.fukuoka.lg.jp/english/index.html

Fukuoka (福岡市, Fukuoka-shi^?) is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.

Ranked as the 14th of the world's most livable cities in the magazine Monocle in 2010, Fukuoka was praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting.^[1] It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by Kitakyushu. It is the largest city and metropolitan area west of Keihanshin. The city was designated on April 1, 1972 by government ordinance. Greater Fukuoka (福岡都市圏), with 2.5 million people (2005 census), is part of the heavily industrialized Fukuoka-Kitakyushu zone, as well as Northern Kyushu.

As of June 2011, Fukuoka is Japan's 7th largest city, having passed the population of Kyoto, and the first time a city west of the Kinki region has a larger population since Kyoto was established in the 7th century. However, in ancient times, the area near Fukuoka was thought to be perhaps even more influential than the Yamato region.

History[link]

Fukuoka (the area of Kashii, Hakata, Sawara and Imazu) is said to be the oldest city in Japan, because it is the nearest city to China and Korea^{[citation needed]}. The area around Fukuoka is among the oldest non-Jōmon settlements in Japan^{[citation needed]}. Dazaifu was an administrative capital in 663 A.D., but a historian proposed that a prehistoric capital was in the area.^[2] Ancient texts, such as the Kojiki, and archaeology confirm this was a very critical place in the founding of Japan. Some scholars^[3] even go as far as to claim it was the first place outsiders and the Imperial Family set foot, but like many early Japan origin theories, it remains contested. See History of Japan. Fukuoka is sometimes still referred to as Hakata, the central ward of the city.

In 923, the Hakozaki-gū was established at Fukuoka as a branch of the Usa Shrine.^[4]

Mongol invasions (1274–1281)[link]

Kublai Khan of the Mongol Empire turned his attention towards Japan starting in 1268, exerting a new external pressure on Japan with which it had no experience. Kublai Khan first sent an envoy to Japan to make the Shogunate acknowledge Khan's suzerainty. The Kamakura shogunate refused. Mongolia repeatedly sent envoys thereafter, each time urging the Shogunate to accept their proposal, but to no avail.

In 1274 Kublai Khan mounted an invasion of the northern part of Kyushu with a fleet of 900 ships and 33,000 troops, which included troops from Goryeo on the Korean peninsula. This first invasion was compromised by a combination of incompetence and storms. After the first invasion of 1274, Japanese samurai built a stone barrier 20 kilometers in length bordering the coast of Hakata Bay in what is now Fukuoka city. The wall, between 2–3 metres in height and having a base width of 3 metres, was constructed between 1276 and 1277 and was excavated again in the 1930s.

Kublai sent another envoy to Japan in 1279. At that time, Hōjō Tokimune of the Hōjō clan (1251–1284) was the Eighth Regent. Not only did he decline the offer, but he beheaded the five Mongolian emissaries after summoning them to Kamakura. Infuriated, Kublai made another attack on Fukuoka Prefecture in 1281, mobilizing 140,000 soldiers and 4,000 ships. The Japanese defenders, numbering around 40,000, were no match for the Mongols and the invasion force made it as far as Dazaifu, 15 kilometers south of the city of Fukuoka. However, the Japanese were aided by another typhoon which struck a crushing blow to the Mongolian troops, and the invasion was thwarted.

It was this typhoon that came to be called the Kamikaze (Divine Wind).

Formation of the modern city (1889)[link]

The Tenjin area

Canal City Hakata

Fukuoka Tower

Fukuoka was formerly the residence of the powerful daimyo of Chikuzen Province, and played an important part in the medieval history of Japan. The renowned temple of Tokugawa Ieyasu in the district was destroyed by fire during the Boshin war of 1868.

The modern city was formed on April 1, 1889, with the merger of the former cities of Hakata and Fukuoka. Historically, Hakata was the port and merchant district, and was more associated with the area's culture and remains the main commercial area today. On the other hand, the Fukuoka area was home to many samurai, and its name has been used since Kuroda Nagamasa, the first daimyo of Chikuzen Province, named it after his birthplace in Okayama Prefecture and the “old Fukuoka” is the main shopping area and now called Tenjin.

When Hakata and Fukuoka decided to merge, a meeting was held to decide the name for the new city. Hakata was initially chosen, but a group of samurai crashed the meeting and forced those present to choose Fukuoka as the name for the merged city. However, Hakata is still used to reference to the Hakata area of the city and, most famously, to refer to the city's train station, Hakata Station, and dialect, Hakata-ben.

20th century[link]

JR Kyushu's Hakata Station

Tenjin Underground City

• 1903: Fukuoka Medical College, a campus associated with Kyoto Imperial University, is founded. In 1911, the college is renamed to Kyushu Imperial University and established as a separate entity.
• 1910: Fukuoka streetcar service begins. (The service ran until 1979.)
• 1929: Flights commence along the Fukuoka-Osaka-Tokyo route.
• 1945: Saturation bombing of Japanese cities commences on Honshū with Fukuoka one of the targets. Vivisections of American POWs are performed at Kyushu Imperial University Hospital.
• 1947: First Fukuoka Marathon.
• 1951: Fukuoka airport opens.
• 1953: Fukuoka Zoo opens.
• 1975: The city absorbed the town of Sawara.
• 1981: Subway commences service.
• 1988: Osaka's pro baseball team, the Nankai Hawks, are moved to Fukuoka and renamed the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. (Renamed the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in 2004).

21st century[link]

• 2005: Fukuoka city subway Nanakuma Line started operation.

Geography[link]

Fukuoka is bordered on three sides by mountains and opens, on the north, to the Sea of Genkai. Much of the city is now built on reclaimed land, with ongoing developments in Higashi-ku building more artificial islands.^{[citation needed]}

It is located 1,100 km from Tokyo.

Climate[link]

Fukouka has a humid subtropical climate and it has hot humid summers and relatively mild winters. The city also sees on average about 1600 mm of precipitation per year, with a stretch of more intense precipitation between the months of June and September. Along with much of the prefecture, Fukuoka City has a moderate climate with an annual average temperature of 16.3 °C (61 °F), average humidity of 70% and 1,811 annual daylight hours. Roughly 40% of the year is cloudy.

Winter temperatures rarely drop below 0 °C (32 °F) and it rarely snows, though light rain does fall on most days if not as consistently as on the Sea of Japan side of Honshu.^[5] Spring is warm and sunnier, with cherry blossoms appearing in late March or early April. The rainy season (tsuyu) lasts for approximately six weeks through June and July, during which time the humidity is very high and temperatures hover between 25 °C (77 °F) and 30 °C (86 °F). Summers are humid and hot, with temperatures peaking around 37 °C (99 °F). Autumn, often considered to be Fukuoka's best season, is mild and dry, though the typhoon season runs between August and September.

Earthquakes[link]

Fukuoka is not as seismically active as many other parts of Japan, but does experience occasional earthquakes. The most powerful recent earthquake registered a lower 6 of maximum 7 of the Japanese intensity scale and hit at 10:53 am local time on March 20, 2005, killing one person and injuring more than 400. The epicentre of the earthquake was in the Sea of Genkai, along a yet-undiscovered extension of the Kego fault that runs through the centre of Fukuoka. Genkai island, a part of Nishi-ku, was the most severely damaged by the earthquake and almost all island residents were forced to evacuate. Aftershocks continued intermittently throughout the following weeks as construction crews worked to rebuild damaged buildings throughout the city. Traditional Japanese houses, particularly in the areas of Daimyo and Imaizumi, were the most heavily damaged and many were marked for demolition, along with several apartment buildings. Insurance payments for damages were estimated at approximately 15.8 billion yen.^[7]

A similar quake, with an intensity of 5+, also occurred one month later on April 20, 2005.

Fukuoka's major Kego fault, runs northwest to southeast, roughly parallel to Nishitetsu's Ōmuta train line, and was previously thought to be 22 km long. It is estimated to produce earthquakes as strong as magnitude 7 at the focus approximately once every 15,000 years. If the focus were located at a depth of 10 km, this would translate to an earthquake of a lower-6 magnitude (similar to the March 20, 2005 earthquake) in downtown Fukuoka if it were the epicenter. The probability of an earthquake along the known length of the Kego fault occurring within 30 years was estimated at 0.4% prior to the March 20, 2005 earthquake, but this probability has been revised upwards since. Including the new extension out into the Sea of Genkai, the Kego fault is now thought to be 40 km long.

Following reports that the city has only prepared for earthquakes up to a magnitude of 6.5, several strong aftershock renewed fears that the quakes might cause the portion of the Kego fault that lies under the city to become active again, leading to an earthquake as big as, or bigger than, the March 20 quake.

Wards[link]

Fukuoka has 7 wards (ku):	Ward	Population	Land area	Pop. density
		as of August 1, 2010	km²	per km²
	Higashi-ku	291 749	66.68	4 375.36
	Hakata-ku	212 108	31.47	6 740.01
	Chūō-ku (administrative center)	176 739	15.16	11,658.24
	Minami-ku	248 901	30.98	8 034.25
	Jonan-ku	128 883	16.02	8 045.13
	Sawara-ku	211 889	95.88	2 209.42
	Nishi-ku	190 288	83.81	2 270.47

Demographics[link]

As of May 2007^[update], the city had an estimated population of 1,422,836 and a density of 4,184.07 persons per km². The total area is 340.60 km². With an average age of 38.6 years, Fukuoka is Japan's second youngest major city and with a growth rate of 4.4%, is also Japan's second-fastest growing city (based on 2000 census data^[update]).

According to local magazine Fukuoka Now, a recent government survey found Fukuoka has over 1200 homeless, the 4th highest number for any city in Japan.^[8]

Economy[link]

Fukuoka is the economic center of the Kyushu region, with an economy largely focused on the service sector. Large companies headquartered in the city include Iwataya and Kyushu Electric Power. Fukuoka is also the home of many small firms playing a supportive role in the logistics, IT and high-tech manufacturing sectors. Most of the region's heavy manufacturing takes place in the nearby city of Kitakyushu.

Several regional broadcasters are based in the city, including Fukuoka Broadcasting System, Kyushu Asahi Broadcasting, Love FM, RKB Mainichi Broadcasting and Television Nishinippon Corporation.

The port of Hakata and Fukuoka Airport also make the city a key regional transportation hub. Fukuoka houses the headquarters of Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) and Nishi-Nippon Railroad. Air Next, a subsidiary of All Nippon Airways, is headquartered in Hakata-ku;^[9] prior to its dissolution, Harlequin Air was also headquartered in Hakata-ku.^[10]

Fukuoka has its own stock exchange, founded in 1949. It is one of 6 in Japan.^[11]

Culture[link]

Fukuoka was selected as one of Newsweek's 10 "Most Dynamic Cities" in its July 2006 issue.^[12] It was chosen for its central Asian location, increasing tourism and trade, and a large increase in volume at its sea and airport. Fukuoka has a diverse culture and a wide range of cultural attractions.

In its July/August 2008 issue, Monocle selected Fukuoka as number 17 of the "Top 25 liveable cities".^[13] It was chosen for excellent shopping, outstanding food, good transport links, good museums, "a feeling of openness in its sea air", green spaces and because it's friendly, safe, clean and close to the rest of East Asia.^[14]

Tourism[link]

Sky Dream Fukuoka, located in Fukuoka City's western ward, was one of the world's largest ferris wheels at a height of 120 meters. It was closed on September 2009. Fukuoka Castle located adjacent to Ohori Park features the remaining stone walls and ramparts left after a devastating fire during the upheaval of the Meiji Restoration. It has now been preserved along with some reconstructed prefabricate concrete towers constructed during the 1950s and 1960s, when there was a trend across Japan to rebuild damaged castles as tourist attractions. Ohori Park is also the location of one of Fukuoka City's major art galleries. There is a newly opened Kyushu National Museum in nearby Dazaifu.

Hakata Ramen

The Marine Park Uminonakamichi is located on a narrow cape on the northern side of the Bay of Hakata. The park has an amusement park, petting zoo, gardens, beaches, a hotel, and a large marine aquarium. For tourists from other parts of Japan, local foods such as mentaiko, Hakata ramen and motsunabe are associated with Fukuoka. Yatai (street stalls) serving ramen can be found in Tenjin and Nakasu most evenings. Fukuoka Tower is near the beach in Momochi.

Museums[link]

Fukuoka City Museum

• Fukuoka Art Museum - In Ohori Park; contains a wide selection of contemporary and other art from around the world, including works by Mark Rothko, Roy Lichtenstein, and Salvador Dalí
• Fukuoka Asian Art Museum - contains art from various countries of Asia.
• Fukuoka City Museum - displays a broad range of items from the region's history, including a spectacular gold seal.
• Genko Historical Museum (元寇史料館; Museum of the Mongol Invasion) - In Higashi Koen (East Park); displays Japanese and Mongolian arms and armor from the 13th century as well as paintings on historical subjects. Open on weekends.
• Hakata Machiya Folk Museum - Dedicated to displaying the traditional ways of life, speech, and culture of the Fukuoka region.

The Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize was established to honor the outstanding work of individuals or organizations in Asia.

Festivals[link]

Hakata Gion Yamakasa

Fukuoka is home to many festivals (matsuri) that are held throughout the year. Of these, the most famous are Hakata Dontaku and Hakata Gion Yamakasa.

Yamakasa (山笠), held for two weeks each July,^[15] is Fukuoka's oldest festival with a history of over 700 years. The festival dates back to 1241 when a priest called Shioichu Kokushi saved Hakata from a terrible plague by being carried around the city on a movable shrine and throwing water.^[16][17] Teams of men (no women, except small girls, are allowed), representing different districts in the city, commemorate the priest's route by racing against the clock around a set course carrying on their shoulders floats weighing several thousand pounds. Participants all wear shimekomi (called fundoshi in other parts of Japan), which are traditional loincloths. Each day of the two-week festival period is marked by special events and practice runs, culminating in the official race that takes place the last morning before dawn. Tens of thousands line the streets to cheer on the teams. During the festival period, men can be seen walking around many parts Fukuoka in long happi coats bearing the distinctive mark of their team affiliation and traditional geta sandals. The costumes are worn with pride and are considered appropriate wear for even formal occasions, such as weddings and cocktail parties, during the festival period.

• 

  The uniform used during the ceremonies and preparation.

• 

  The uniform used during the competition.

Hakata Dontaku (博多どんたく) is held in Fukuoka City on May 3 and 4. Boasting over 800 years of history, Dontaku is attended by more than 2 million people, making it the Japanese festival with the highest attendance during Japan's Golden Week holidays. During the festival, stages are erected throughout downtown for traditional performances and a parade of floats is held. The full name is Hakata Dontaku Minato Matsuri.^[18]

The festival was stopped for seven years during the Meiji era, and since it was restarted in the 12th year of the Meiji era it has been known as Hakata Dontaku.

Music[link]

Notable musical names in J-pop include Ayumi Hamasaki (allegedly Japan's richest woman), singer/songwriter Ringo Shiina, hugely popular singer/songwriter duo Chage & Aska, singer-songwriter Nobuchika Eri, Misia and Yui. During the 1970s, local musicians prided themselves on their origins and dubbed their sound, Mentai Rock.

Morning Musume 6th generation member Reina Tanaka was also born here in 1989 along with 9th generation member Erina Ikuta in 1997.

Dominican songwriter and singer Juan Luis Guerra pays homage to the city in his bachata song Bachata en Fukuoka (2010).

Transport[link]

International terminal of Fukuoka Airport

Bayside Place Hakata Port

Fukuoka is served by Fukuoka Airport, the Sanyō Shinkansen and the Kyushu Shinkansen high speed rail line and other JR Kyushu trains at Hakata Station and by ferry. JR Kyushu and a Korean company operate hydrofoil ferries (named Beetle and Kobee) between Hakata and Busan, South Korea. The city has three subway lines, and the newest one, Subway Nanakuma Line, opened on February 2, 2005.

Sports[link]

Fukuoka is the home of the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, one of Japan's top professional baseball teams. Threatened with bankruptcy and forced by its creditors to restructure, in 2004 former owner Daiei sold the Hawks to Softbank Capital.

Fukuoka Yahoo! Japan Dome

Level-5 Stadium

Fukuoka is home to a professional soccer team, Avispa Fukuoka.

Annual sporting events include:

• The All Japan Judo Category Championships is held in early April.
• The Kyushu Ekiden, beginning in Nagasaki and ending in Fukuoka, the world's longest relay race, held in October.
• The November tournament of professional Sumo is held at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center
• Fukuoka International Open Marathon Championships, with start/finish at Heiwadai Athletic Stadium, held on the 1st Sunday of December.

Fukuoka has hosted the following sporting events.

• 1995 Summer Universiade
• 2001 World Aquatics Championships.
• 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
• Fukuoka International Women’s Judo Championships from 1983 to 2006.

Sports teams and facilities[link]

Education[link]

Fukuoka City operates all public elementary and junior high schools, while the prefecture operates the high schools.

National Universities

• Kyushu University (九州大学, Kyushu Daigaku^?)
  • Kyushu Institute of Design (九州芸術工科大学, Kyushu Geijutsu Kōka Daigaku^?) - merged with Kyushu University on October 2003

Prefectural University

• Fukuoka Women's University (福岡女子大学, Fukuoka Joshi Daigaku^?)

Private Universities

• Daiichi University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences (第一薬科大学, Daiichi Yakka Daigaku^?)
• Fukuoka Institute of Technology (福岡工業大学, Fukuoka Kōgyō Daigaku^?)
• Fukuoka Jo Gakuin University (福岡女学院大学, Fukuoka Jogakuin Daigaku^?)
• Fukuoka University (福岡大学, Fukuoka Daigaku^?)
• Kyushu Sangyo University (九州産業大学, Kyushu Sangyō Daigaku^?)
• Nakamura Gakuen University (中村学園大学, Nakamura Gakuen Daigaku^?)
• Seinan Gakuin University (西南学院大学, Seinan Gakuin Daigaku^?)

Colleges

• Fukuoka College of Health Sciences (福岡医療短期大学, Fukuoka Iryō Tanki Daigaku^?)
• Fukuoka Institute of Technology, Junior College (福岡工業大学短期大学部|Fukuoka Kōgyō Daigaku Tanki Daigakubu)
• Junshin Junior College (純真短期大学, Junshin Tanki Daigaku^?)
• Koran Women's Junior College (香蘭女子短期大学, Kōran Joshi Tanki Daigaku^?)
• Kyushu Zokei Art College (九州造形短期大学, Kyushu Zōkei Tanki Daigaku^?)
• Nakamura Gakuen Junior College (中村学園大学短期大学部, Nakamura Gakuen Daigaku Tanki Daigakubu^?)
• Nishinihon Junior College (西日本短期大学, Nishi Nihon Tanki Daigaku^?)
• Seika Women's Junior College (精華女子短期大学, Seika Joshi Tanki Daigaku^?)

Catholic schools

• Sophia Fukuoka Junior and Senior High School

International relations[link]

Fukuoka has seven sister cities.^[19]

Fukuoka City established the Asian Pacific City Summit in 1994. It consists of 26 Asian-Pacific Cities.

Notable people from Fukuoka[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fukuoka, Fukuoka

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Fukuoka.

• Official website (Japanese)
• Official Tourism Site of Fukuoka city
• Fukuoka City page of Fukuoka Tourism Association website
• Fukuoka Talk
• Fukuoka Now
• Fukuoka travel guide from Wikitravel

v t e Fukuoka Prefecture Kitakyūshū Wards Moji-ku Wakamatsu-ku Tobata-ku Kokurakita-ku Kokuraminami-ku Yahatahigashi-ku Yahatanishi-ku Fukuoka (capital city) Wards Higashi-ku Hakata-ku Chūō-ku Minami-ku Nishi-ku Jōnan-ku Sawara-ku Cities Asakura Buzen Chikugo Chikushino Dazaifu Fukuoka (capital) Fukutsu Iizuka Itoshima Kasuga Kama Kitakyūshū Koga Kurume Miyama Miyawaka Munakata Nakama Nōgata Ogōri Ōkawa Ōmuta Ōnojō Tagawa Ukiha Yame Yanagawa Yukuhashi Districts Asakura Chikujō Chikushi Kaho Kasuya Kurate Mii Miyako Mizuma Onga Tagawa Yame See also: Towns and villages by district

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (August 2011)

Juan Luis Guerra
Juan Luis Guerra during a concert in Boston, Massachusetts.
Background information
Birth name	Juan Luis Guerra Seijas
Born	(1957-06-07) June 7, 1957 (age 55)
Origin	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Genres	Merengue, bachata, salsa, Latin pop
Occupations	Record producer, songwriter, musician, composer, arranger, guitarist
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	1984–present
Labels	EMI Records
Associated acts	Juanes, Enrique Iglesias, 440
Website	www.juanluisguerra.com

Juan Luis Guerra (born June 7, 1957) is a singer, songwriter and producer from the Dominican Republic who has sold over 30 million records, and won numerous awards including 12 Latin Grammy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and two Latin Billboard Music Awards. He recently won 3 Latin Grammy Awards in 2010, including Album of the Year.

He is one of the most internationally recognized Latin artists of recent decades. His pop style of merengue and bolero and Afro-pop/Latin fusion has garnered him considerable success throughout Latin America. Guerra is sometimes associated with the popular Dominican music called bachata, and while this association is partly true, he actually uses the basics of Bachata rhythm with a more bolero feel to the melodies in some of his songs.^[1] He does not limit himself to one style of music, instead, he incorporates diverse rhythms like merengue, bolero-bachata, balada, salsa, rock and roll, and even gospel as in the song "La Gallera". "Ojalá Que Llueva Café" ("I Wish It Would Rain Coffee") is one of his most critically acclaimed self-written and composed pieces. A remix of "La Llave de Mi Corazón" ("The Key of My Heart") with Taboo from The Black Eyed Peas is also an example of his fusion of genres.

Career[link]

Early life[link]

Born Juan Luis Guerra Seijas in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, he is the son of Olga Seijas and Gilberto Guerra, a basketball player. Before he committed to music, Guerra studied philosophy and literature at the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo. He then studied guitar and music theory at El Conservatorio Nacional de Música de Santo Domingo, then decided to go to the United States to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. He graduated from Berklee in 1982 with a diploma in jazz composition.^[2] After his return to the Dominican Republic, he released his first album, Soplando (1984) with a group of local musicians that subsequently became known as Juan Luis Guerra y 440. The group members were Maridalia Hernández, Roger Zayas-Bazán, and Mariela Mercado. The band's name in Spanish is officially publicized as Cuatro Cuarenta (Four Forty), a shortening of the normally strict reading of number "four hundred forty". The 440 part of the band's name refers to the standard tuning of A440. Reportedly the name for the band came from a practice session where Juan Luis's brother suggested the name because the name would reflect how "in-tune and precise they were".^{[citation needed]} According to Guerra, this first album was based on jazz tunes and concepts he had learned at Berklee, and it "wasn't intended to be a commercial hit." Subsequently, however, he began to write more merengues.^[2]

Two albums followed, Mudanza y Acarreo and Mientras Más Lo Pienso...Tú. The band was nominated to attend the Festival of OTI (Organization of Iberoamerican Television) to represent the Dominican Republic.

Their next album, in 1989, brought them international acclaim. Ojalá Que Llueva Café, a slow melodic number with superfast background tracks, became a number one hit in many Latin American countries, with the hit song of the same name. Subsequently, a video of the song was filmed and Juan Luis Guerra and his 440 band began touring. (The song's fame was revived in 1996 and 2008 with covers by Mexican band Café Tacuba and Spanish singer Rosario Flores.)

1990s[link]

In 1990, they released their next album, Bachata Rosa, which became a major hit and earned Guerra his first Grammy award. The album, having sold more than five million copies at that time, allowed Guerra to keep touring Latin America, USA and Europe. This album contains memorable love songs such as "Burbujas de Amor" (Bubbles of Love), "Bachata Rosa", "Rosalia", "Como Abeja al Panal" (Like a Bee to Honeycomb), "A Pedir Su Mano" (Asking For Her Hand), "Carta de Amor" (Love Letter), and "Estrellitas y Duendes" (Little stars and elves).

Guerra became a controversial figure in 1992 after he released his next album, Areíto (which is a Taíno word for song and dance). It featured the hit single "El costo de la vida", (The Cost of Living), whose video clearly has an anti-capitalist message. Other songs included in this album protest against the poor conditions in many Latin American countries, the celebration of the 'discovery' of the Americas ("1492"), and the double standards of first-world nations. "El costo de la vida" was his first number-one hit in the Hot Latin Tracks. Guerra became the first performer of tropical music to achieve this feat.

In his next album, Fogaraté (1995), he stayed away from recording any protest songs. This album is particularly centered in the more rural and lesser known types of Dominican music, like the Perico Ripiao.

Guerra's 1998 release Ni Es Lo Mismo Ni Es Igual (Neither The Same Nor Equal) garnered much critical acclaim, winning three Latin Grammys in 2000 for Best Merengue Performance, Best Tropical Song, and Best Engineered Album. Its hits include "Mi PC" (My PC), "Palomita Blanca" (Little White Dove), and "El Niágara en Bicicleta" (The Niagara on Bicycle - literal; to ride a bicycle across Niagara Falls, i.e. a difficult task - coloquial "al pasar el Niagara en bicicleta", Cuban).

Juan Luis Guerra in concert in Madrid, Spain, during the Para ti tour. July 2005.

2000s[link]

In 2003, Guerra released his first new album in six years. Entitled "Para Ti" (For you), the album's songs are mostly religious in nature, reflecting Guerra's fervent Christianity. With this album the singer won two awards at the 2005 Billboards, in the categories of Gospel-Pop and Tropical-Merengue, for the hit single Las Avispas (The wasps), the first time ever that one song has won these two categories at the same time. Other hits included "Para Ti" and "Soldado" (Soldier). At the same time, Guerra was honored with the Latino Special Award for the Music Academy of Spain for his contributions to the music of his country and the Caribbean in the last 20 years.

In January 2006, Juan Luis performed at Berklee's 60th anniversary along with other artists such as Paul Simon, Herbie Hancock, Michel Camilo and Chiara Civello. That same year, he recorded with Diego Torres in "Abriendo Caminos" (Opening roads) and with Maná in "Bendita Tu Luz" (Blessed your light).

Notably, Juan Luis Guerra was part of the former highest grossing music tour of all time,(U2's 360 tour is currently the highest grossing music tour of all time) as he was the opening act for The Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang Tour at their San Juan, Puerto Rico show in February, 2006.

He was also invited by Sting to sing with him at a concert at Altos de Chavón, La Romana in the Dominican Republic in 2006. At the Premio Lo Nuestro awards in 2007, he was given the honorary lifetime achievement award. He also performed the lead single of his new album, "La Llave De Mi Corazón", released in March 2007.

"La llave de mi corazón" reached number one on the Billboard charts for four consecutive weeks, and was the #1 selling album in Colombia while climbing the charts in other countries^{[citation needed]}. Guerra won more than 20 awards with this CD, including 5 Latin Grammy Awards, 6 Premios Casandra awards, 4 billboard Awards, 2 lo nuestro, and one Grammy Award.

On April 6, 2006, Juan Luis Guerra was honored as a BMI Icon at the 13th annual BMI Latin Awards. Named BMI's 1995 Latin Songwriter of the Year, Guerra's songwriting has garnered 14 BMI Latin Awards.^[3]

Juan Luis Guerra was honored at the Latin Grammy Awards in 2007 with 5 awards, sweeping each category he was nominated in: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Tropical Song & Best Merengue Album. The engineers of the album, Allan Leschhorn, Luis Mansilla, Ronnie Torres, and Adam Ayan were awarded Best Engineered album. One night prior to the Latin Grammy Awards he received the Academy's Person of the Year Award for his contribution to Latin music and for his philanthropy.

On March 10, 2008, Juan Luis was honored with 6 awards in los Premios Casandra, the most important award event in the Dominican Republic. He won for Orchestrator of the year, Outstanding artist abroad, Music album of the year for "La Llave de mi Corazón" and "El Soberano" (The Sovereign), the most important award of the night.

On March 16, 2008 He and other artists participated in the Paz Sin Fronteras concert raised by Juanes, because of the conflict in recent days between Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador.

On April 11, 2008 Juan Luis Guerra was the Billboard Latin awards big winner, with 7 nominations and 3 awards.

On September 15, 2008 Guerra was named a UNESCO Artist for Peace "in recognition of his efforts for the benefit of children with disabilities and children in need."^[4]

On May 9, 2009, Guerra was awarded an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Berklee College of Music at its commencement ceremony.

2010 Juan Luis Guerra was featured in Enrique Iglesias' Spanish single, Cuando Me Enamoro, and appeared with Iglesias in the music video. The single has currently spent 17 non-consecutive weeks at #1, the longest tenure at the peak position for both artists. In addition, the single was a self-replacement at #1 for Guerra as it replaced his own single Bachata en Fukuoka from his album A Son de Guerra.

Singing in other languages[link]

Guerra has recorded several songs in English, like "July 19th" on his Fogaraté release (1995), and more recently "Medicine for My Soul" and "Something Good" with Italian singer Chiara Civello. Some of his songs have verses in both English and Spanish such as "Woman del Callao", "Guavaberry", "Señorita" and more recently "La Llave de Mi Corazón". Album Areíto featured two songs, cover-title song "Areíto" and "Naboria daca, mayanimacaná" which are sung in the Arawak language of the extinct Taino natives of Hispaniola. Juan Luis Guerra also recorded the album "Bachata Rosa" in Portuguese. He uses Japanese words in Bachata en Fukuoka (Bachata in Fukuoka), 2010 Latin Grammy winner for Best Tropical Song.

Lyrical style[link]

Being a native Dominican, his music is heavily influenced by native Caribbean rhythms, such as merengue and bachata.

His lyrics are often charged with intentionally simple, heavily metaphorical, erotic, or popular expressions, such as "Burbujas de Amor" (Bubbles Of Love) or "El Niágara en Bicicleta" (Niagara on Bicycle), an idiom for something difficult to do.

Discography[link]

Singles[link]

440 band members[link]

• Roger Zayas
• Maridalia Hernández
• Mariela Mercado
• Marco Hernández (replaced Maridalia Hernández)
• Adalgisa Pantaleón (replaced Mariela Mercado)
• Quico Rizek (replaced Marco Hernández)

Quotation[link]

This section is a candidate to be copied to Wikiquote using the Transwiki process.

We write for our home audience. We play music that appeals to those at home, a music that feels natural and intuitive.^[7]

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Manuel, Peter. Caribbean Currents: Caribbean Music from Rumba to Reggae. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Juan Luis Guerra

• Official website in English and Spanish.
• Biography of Juan Luis Guerra With particular focus on his relationship to bachata.
• Juan Luis Guerra at National Geographic World Music
• Juan Luis Guerra Online Scholarship from Berklee College of Music
• Juan Luis Guerra at the Internet Movie Database
• Encarta bio (Archived 2009-10-31)

Antonio Feliciano Rivera Cabrera, Better known by his stage name Tony Dize, or his other nickname, "La Melodía De La Calle", is a Puerto Rican reggaeton artist born in Boston, Massachusetts. His first recorded performance was from the album Blin Blin vol.1, with Wisin & Yandel in 2003, after which he collaborated with other artists of the genre and later released his debut album in 2008 titled La Melodía De La Calle (Spanish for "Street Melody") under WY Records and Machete Music. He was currently signed to Pina Records, for which he released La Melodía De La Calle: Updated under the label in 2009. In November 2011 he is in contracting with DJ Memo, to join his record label after a fall out with Raphy Pina.

Musical career[link]

He started under the guidance of one of the most popular duos in reggaeton, Wisin & Yandel. He debuted in the disc Blin Blin vol.1, with the song "No Pierdas Tiempo". Through his short career he has worked with the best DJs of the genre such as Luny Tunes, Naldo, Urba & Monserrate, Notty, and Noriega. He appeared as a guest in the album Pa'l Mundo, in a song with Wisin & Yandel called "Sensación". The song was a minor hit. Tony Dize finally broke through with the song "Quizás", found on the album Los Vaqueros. The song was one of the album's biggest hits, and made him a force in reggaeton. The official remix of the song features Ken-Y. He was part of WY Records and his first production, La Melodía De La Calle, was released on April 22, 2008. Tony Dize participated in a beach festival named "Back to School", on August 9, 2008.^[1] Tony dize performed at the Cedar Hall on February 2, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts.In the performance he collaborated with DJs such as DJ Shorty DJ Problem, and DJ Luis Morales. He was a member of Pina Records, after leaving WY Records over disputes with Wisin. Now in disputes with Raphy Pina (Owner of Pina Records) and he is currently being counseled and managed at B4DN Studios in Miami Fl owned by composer and ex singer Jose Echeandia "Chandi".

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]