Dominican Singer-composer Juan Luis Guerra along with his band 4.40 took their La Travesia tour (The Journey) to New York City's Madison Square Garden on Friday to entertain his fans with rich Bachata, Merengue, Salsa and Bolero rhythms.
About 10,000 people were in attendance, according to a Security Supervisor of the venue. From South America to the Caribbean, people from more than 15 countries were greeted by Guerra at the start of the concert.
The presentation began with an image of an airplane taking off on giant screen followed by Guerra's entrance through an underground elevator. He sang for almost two hours– backed by a band of 16 musicians and 3 singers. His performance included a variety of hits from 20 year-old favorites to the most recent singles from his latest album "La Llave de Mi Corazón" which earned him 5 Latin Grammy Awards in 2007, including Best Record, Album and Song of the year.
"My husband and I have been waiting 20 years to see Juan Luis Guerra at a concert," said Marta Benavides, a New York resident for 23 years originally from Nicaragua. "It's very beautiful to be among so many Latin people. I think I'd never been in a group of Latins as large as this, the energy of the people is fascinating."
The crowd danced along with hits such as "Ojala que Llueva Café," and "Bachata Rosa," which became famous in the late 80´s and early 90´s. Newer songs were "El Niágara en Bicicleta," "El Costo de la Vida," "Visa Para un Sueño," "La Llave de Mi Corazón," and "La Travesia."
Guerra's metaphorical lyrics in Spanish could be seen as a barrier to appreciating his music. However the artist has made efforts to expand his audience beyond its Latin American core.
In May of 2007 at Madison Square Garden he introduced an English version of "La Llave de Mi Corazón" called "Medicine for my Soul" as well as another song called "Something Good."
The current tour also has stops in Stockholm and Amsterdam where Guerra's music has gained a following.
With his poetic language, the singer touches upon themes of romance and social concerns such as poverty, immigration and the economy.
"It's time for the North American audience to understand our music more in depth," Guerra said in an interview with News Agency EFE in 2007. "In the Dominican case I want them to understand what is bachata and merengue and the fusions we do," he added.
