Juan Luis Guerra 4.40

Juan Luis Guerra is a best-selling, award-winning Dominican singer, songwriter, composer, and record producer. With his smooth, multi-octave range and soulful delivery, he has sold over 70 million records globally, and won an abundance of industry awards including 21 Latin Grammy Awards, two Grammys, and two Latin Billboard Music Awards. He and his band 440 are beloved throughout the Latin music-loving world, for their innovations in merengue, and their resurrection of bachata as a commercial force after a long period of decline. That said, his sound is much more complex and diverse, embodying elements from bolero, salsa, early rock & roll, and even gospel. His 1990 album Bachata Rosa delivered five hit singles -- all of them love songs -- and sold over five million copies. While 1992’s Areito was controversial for its political angle led by its award-winning-single and video "El Costo de la Vida," it merely revealed another dimension to his artistry. 2004's Para Ti and 2007's La Llave de Mi Corazón were both certified multi-platinum, while the latter netted him a combined five Grammys and Latin Grammys, while 2010's A Son de Guerra won three more Latin Grammys. 2014's Todo Tiene Su Hora topped the Latin album charts, and landed well inside the top half of the Top 200. Its momentum was due in large part to the international smash hit single "Tus Besos" that cannily wed bachata and proto doo wop, and rock & roll. The album was certified gold.

Guerra is the son of a professional baseball player and grew up next to the National Music Gallery