Juan Luis Guerra Named Latin Recording Academy "Person Of The Year" 2007

August 21, 2007
Singer/songwriter Juan Luis Guerra to be honored the night before the 8th Latin GRAMMY Awards
GRAMMY.com
Internationally renowned GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY-winning singer/songwriter Juan Luis Guerra will be honored as the 2007 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year, it was announced today by The Latin Recording Academy. Chosen for his professional, cultural and philanthropic accomplishments, Guerra will receive the honor at a star-studded tribute dinner and concert on Nov. 7 in Las Vegas. The 2007 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year tribute dinner will be one of the most prestigious events during Latin GRAMMY Week and will precede the 8th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards, which will be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Nov. 8 and will be broadcast live on the Univision Network.
"The Latin Recording Academy and its Board of Trustees are proud and elated to recognize Mr. Juan Luis Guerra, an amazing musical talent who possesses such rich cultural roots and is a true creative visionary," said Latin Recording Academy President Gabriel Abaroa. "As an accomplished artist and a dynamic performer who has embraced many styles of music, he brings a unique passion and universal sense to his music. We truly are privileged to honor such a talented man, and we look forward to a spectacular evening on Nov. 7....

Born in the Dominican Republic, Guerra was influenced by the Beatles as a teen. He taught himself the basics of guitar playing and eventually attended the Conservatorio Nacional de Música in his native country. He then continued on to the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston to study composition and arranging.

Upon the completion of his studies, he returned to the Dominican Republic where he formed Juan Luis Guerra y 440 with a group of local musicians. Together, they recorded Bachata Rosa in 1990, which earned Guerra a GRAMMY Award and sold more than 5 million copies. In 1991, Guerra created the Juan Luis Guerra y 440 Foundation, which provides valuable resources to help people in need in his native Dominican Republic. The foundation helps orphans and abandoned children, provides loans to children's hospitals and churches for construction and development, and offers addiction recovery services and financial aid for various types of much-needed surgical procedures.

Guerra gained more critical acclaim with the release of Ni Es Lo Mismo Ni Es Igual (It's Not The Same Nor Is It Equal), which garnered him two Latin GRAMMYs at the 1st Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards in 2000. His next album in 2004, Para Tí,reflected his spirituality and earned him two more Latin GRAMMYs. He has recorded tracks and shared the stage with Maná, Ruben Blades and Diego Torres, and has performed alongside such legendary artists as the Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, and Sting. The lead single off his latest album of the same name, "La Llave De Mi Corazon," spent four consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard Latin charts.

Juan Luis Guerra is the eighth Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year honoree, joining a prestigious list of previous honorees: Ricky Martin, José José, Carlos Santana, Gilberto Gil, Vicente Fernández, Julio Iglesias, and Emilio Estefan.