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| The HBO Special |
I was surfing the TV, basically to see what else was on TV. There were no movies that caught my fancy. I have had little interest in the news since the denouement of the January 6th insurrection that solidified conspiracy theories in the minds of so many and that basically solidified the divide in the Congress.
I was about to turn the TV off when I saw something on HBO Latino that brought a smile to my face and warmed my heart. The guide showed “Juan Luis Guerra 4.40: Entre mer y palmeras.” It was airing later this evening. I hit “Watch Now” and popped on some headphones to really listen and enjoy.
Juan Luis Guerra?
Never heard of him?
Juan Luis Guerra has sold over 30 million records (CDs, downloads?). He is arguably the best musician in the Dominican Republic… maybe ever.
I had not heard of him either until the late 1990s. That did not surprise me since my musical focus is overwhelmingly Armenian, Turkish, Greek, Arab and Persian. But, I worked in the Latin American Division of Colgate-Palmolive for about fifteen years. I travelled throughout the region on business and came to appreciate the culture of many of the countries. This included language, cuisine, literature, history, art, and music. I did not master any of it but was a serious dabbler.
I learned to love Boleros. There was an article in a local newspaper in Cali, Colombia about the history and popularity of Boleros. It was the first full newspaper article I ever read in Spanish. I definitely got the gist of the history. Boleros are basically love songs and romantic dances with beautiful music and especially poetic lyrics. Later that evening at a team dinner, I mentioned the article and my interest in exploring the genre. The next day we visited a music store and I bought a CD of Boleros from the 1950s and 60s. Basically, it was a collection of classics. I listen to it several times a year when I am missing my travels and friends. Bésame Mucho may be the best known Bolero of them all.
When I was in the Dominican Republic once, we were at a company celebration. There was Merengue music and people were dancing. I liked the dancing, but it was kind of hyper-frenetic with simply musical phrases repeated over and over again. It was good house music for dancing, clearly, as the dance floor was full. But, it was not so good for listening. Again, in chatting with some colleagues I asked what if this music had folk roots. The answer, as I suspected, was “of course it originated here in the DR.” I then inquired what the music sounded like in the early days of this genre. They were not understanding me, so I related the story of the Bolero and my love for the early recordings. I asked if it was always this fast and hectic and if not, I would love to hear those versions. The answer was “ah, ok, you need to listen to Juan Luis Guerra.” Another visit to a music shop and I had a collection of his greatest hits. I loved it.
Somehow over the years, I have not seen that CD since we moved to Illinois. I kind of forgot about Juan Luis, well, until this evening. This concert is 71 minutes long. It is set on one of the beautiful beaches of the DR in the late afternoon. The musicians are simply the best. The are precise and so talented they make it look easy. The compositions and arrangements are exquisite. And his voice, as smooth as ever. I had not ever really watched him on video, so this was a real treat.
Juan Luis Guerra was born on June 7, 1957, in Santo Domingo. So, I am watching and writing about him on his 64th birthday. He is known for his Merengue and Bachata dance music but this HBO special shows his mastery of bolero, baladas, and forays into jazz and rock. He is a great talent that I am most delighted to have found again.
Here is one of his songs: La Llave De Mi Corazon
La Llave De Mi Corazón"
La
llave de mi corazón
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yo escuchaba el otro día
Una emisora radial
Un siquiatra, Doctor Louise
daba consejo matrimonial
Marqué 305 594 1185
(three o' five, five ninety-four eleven eighty-five)
Hey doc, le llamo por una amiga que conocí en un web site
Le pido que, me de solución
pues tiene la llave de mi corazón
Yo soy de Ciudad Nueva y ella es
de San Pedro de Macorís, you know
tierra de peloteros, where Sammy Sosa lives
Le gusta beber jugo de papaya con anís
Y narrar telenovelas, her love is blind as you can see
Le pido que, me de solución
pues tiene la llave de mi corazón
Sólo quiero que me beses como besas tú.
You know I can't stop loving you, baby
I said mambo
Love me, yeah
Love me, yeah
Confirme su autoestima
make a point, you're on the air
Que usted quiere que haga yo
debo aprender español
y bailar con un pie
hasta que me dé su amor
o viajar un año luz
de Saturno a Nueva York
moving in, moving on, merengue bachata y son
Yo pido que, me des solución
pues tienes la llave de mi corazón
Dance!
Dance!
yeah yeah yeah yeah
Dance!
Que usted quiere que haga yo
Tocaré mi conga drums
y me haré un carnet
de poeta y trovador
Desempolvaré mi voz
cantaré 'la vie en rose'
Moving in, moving on
merengue, bachata y son, now
Yo pido que, mes de solución
pues tienes la llave de mi corazón
Sólo quiero que me beses como besas tú.
You know I can't stop loving you, baby
Yo pido que, me des solución
pues tienes la llave de mi corazón
You're so sweet, to me, yeah
You're so sweet
You're so sweet, to me, baby
You're so sweet, to me, baby
You're so sweet
yeah yeah yeah
Yo pido que, me des solución
pues tienes la llave de mi corazón
Sweet to my heart
ehh baby now
Sweet to my heart
Sweet to my heart
Sweet to my heart
yeah yeah yeah yeah
Sweet to my heart
yeah baby
Yo pido que, me des solución
tu tienes la llave de mi corazón
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/juanluisguerra/lallavedemicorazn.html
The Key To My Heart
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
I was listening the other day
To a radio station
A psychiatrist, Doctor Louise
Was giving love advice
I dialed 305 594 1185
(three o' five, five ninety-four eleven eighty-five)
Hey doc, I'm calling you because of a friend I met on a website
I ask you to give me a solution
Because you have the key to my heart
I'm from the New City and she's
From San Pedro de Macorís, you know
A land of players, where Sammy Sosa lives
She likes drinking papaya juice with anise
And narrating soap operas, her love is blind as you can see
I ask you to give me a solution
Because you have the key to my heart
I just want you to kiss me like you do.
You know I can't stop loving you, baby
I said mambo
Love me, yeah
Love me, yeah
Confirm your self-esteem
Make a point, you're on the air
What do you want me to do?
Should I learn Spanish
And dance with only one foot
Until you give me your love?
Or travel a light-year
From Saturn to New York
Moving in, moving on, merengue bachata and sound
I ask you to give me a solution
Because you have the key to my heart
Dance !
Dance !
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Dance !
What do you want me to do?
I'll play my conga drums
And get myself a license
For poet and troubadour
I'll dust off my voice
I'll sing 'La vie en rose'
Moving in, moving on
Merengue, bachata and sound, now
I ask you to give me a solution
Because you have the key to my heart
I just want you to kiss me like you do
You know I can't stop loving you, baby
I ask you to give me a solution
Because you have the key to my heart
You're so sweet, to me, yeah
You're so sweet
You're so sweet, to me, baby
You're so sweet, to me, baby
You're so sweet
Yeah yeah yeah
I ask you to give me a solution
Because you have the key to my heart
Sweet to my heart
Ehh baby now
Sweet to my heart
Sweet to my heart
Sweet to my heart
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Sweet to my heart
Yeah baby
I ask you to give me a solution
You have the key to my heart
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