Juan Luis Guerra

Juan Luis Guerra Seijas, born on June 7, 1957, in Santo Domingo, is the most internationally celebrated musician from the Dominican Republic and one of Latin music's best-selling artists of all time. Growing up in a non-musical family, he taught himself guitar at the age of ten, inspired by the Beatles. After studying at the National Conservatory of the Dominican Republic, he won a scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he honed his distinctive style. In the 1980s he founded his band 4.40 — named after the concert pitch A at 440 Hz — and revitalized merengue by incorporating soukous, High Life, and Afro-Dominican folk forms. International stardom came with the album *Bachata Rosa* (1990), which brought bachata to global audiences. His song "Ojalá que Llueva Café" opened markets in Europe, Mexico, and the United States, with artists such as Luis Miguel and Ana Belén recording his compositions. With over 30 million records sold, 31 Latin Grammy Awards — including Album of the Year in 2010 — and three Grammy Awards, his career stands apart. In 2012 he received the Latin Grammy for Producer of the Year. Most recently, the EP *Radio Güira* (2023), blending blues, jazz, mambo, and merengue, won Album of the Year at the 2024 Latin Grammys. Signed to Capitol Latin since 2007, Juan Luis Guerra remains a headline act at the world's major Latin music festivals.