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El Niágara en Bicicleta

"El Niágara en Bicicleta" (transl. "Niagara Falls on a Bicycle")[1] is a song by Dominican Republic singer-songwriter Juan Luis Guerra and his band 4-40 from his eighth studio album, Ni Es lo Mismo Ni Es Igual (1998). The song was written and produced by Guerra. It was released as the third single from the album in 1999 by Karen Records. A merengue rap song, it sees the protagonist finding himself in a hospital that is in poor condition, based on Guerra's experience in one. The song received positive reactions from three music critics, who praised who praise its music and social conscious lyrics.

"El Niágara en Bicicleta"
Single by Juan Luis Guerra & 4–40
from the album Ni Es lo Mismo Ni Es Igual
Released1999 (1999)
GenreMerengue rap
Length4:28
LabelKaren
Songwriter(s)Juan Luis Guerra
Producer(s)Juan Luis Guerra
Juan Luis Guerra & 4–40 singles chronology
"Palomita Blanca"
(1999)
"El Niágara en Bicicleta"
(1999)
"La Hormiguita"
(1999)
Music video
"El Niágara en Bicicleta" on YouTube

The song led to Guerra receiving several accolades including the Latin Grammy Award for Best Tropical Song and a nomination for Song of the Year in 2000. Commercially, "El Niágara en Bicicleta" peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs and Tropical Airplay charts in the United States. It was also the best-performing tropical song of 1999 in the country. The accompanying music video was directed by J.C. Barros and follows the same story as the lyrics. Orishas performed a live cover of the song as part of the Latin Recording Academy tribute to Guerra in 2007.

Background and composition edit

In 1994, Guerra released his seventh studio album Fogaraté, a record consisting of soukous-influenced merengue and merengue típico.[3] Following its release, he took a three year hiatus from recording, citing the need to take a break. "If artists lack something, it is peace. I needed to rest to find it and I found it in the figure of Jesus Christ. I called him through prayer and received his answer", Guerra stated.[4] During the singer's hiatus, Guerra launched his own business as a director in the Dominican Republic for Mango TV and Viva FM station.[4] On 29 October 1997, an editor for La Opinión reported that the artist had started working on a new album in Miami and he said: "I'm making a decent album, that people like. I know the wait has been a bit long, but I'm almost sure that when the public has my new production in their hands, they will better understand why I've lasted that long without recording."[5] In February the following year, Guerra gave an update on the progress, stating the disc would have 10 to 12 tracks including merengues, bachata, ballads and a salsa, revealing it would be released later in 1998.[6]

However in June 1998, Guerra was not satisfied with the material he recorded and decided to further record.[7] Five months later, Bienvenido Rodríguez, president of Guerra's label Karen Records, revealed that the singer had wrapped up the album's production and that it would still contain the genres he announced.[8] The record's name, Ni Es Lo Mismo, Ni Es Igual, was announced on 14 November 1998, and released on 15 December of the same year.[9][10] Guerra wrote and produced all the tracks in the album including "El Niágara en Bicicleta".[9] The song's title refers to a Dominican Republic idiom meaning "one is suffering economic misery".[1] In the lyrics, the protagonist finds himself in an emergency room after suffering from a stroke only to "confront the tragicomic miseries of health care in the island".[2] In her book, Merengue and Dominican Identity: Music as National Unifier (2004), Julie A. Sellers explains that "the singer-protagonist describes a literal attempt to cross Niagara Falls on a bike and the pitiful public health conditions that await him in a Dominican hospital afterwards".[1] The narrator is in disbelief about the lack of medical supplies and the nurse cannot perform an electrocardiogram due to common blackouts.[1] In the song, Guerra sings, "Don't tell me that the physicians have left, don't tell me you don't have anesthesia".[2] Musically, the track is a merengue rap song.[1][2] Guerra was inspired to write the song after a visit to a hospital following a high bilirubin diagnosis, and recalled "I told the doctor when I was getting out of there that I was going to write a song about my experience. After that, I wrote 'Niagara en Bicicleta'."[11]

Promotion and reception edit

"El Niágara en Bicicleta" was released as the album's third single in 1999 by Karen Records.[12][13] A live version of the track was included on his albums A Son de Guerra Tour (2013) and Entre Mar y Palmeras (2022), respectively.[14][15] As part of The Latin Recording Academy tribute to Guerra, who was presented with the Person of the Year accolade in 2007, Cuban hip hop group Orishas performed a live cover version of "El Niágara en Bicicleta".[16] The music video for the song was directed by J.C. Barros and filmed at a hospital in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.[17] In the video, like the song, the protagonist is taken to a hospital after suffering from a stroke and deals with the poor conditions of the place.[18] AllMusic critic Evan C. Gutierrez found "El Niágara en Bicicleta" to be "irresistibly singable".[19] Jacob Edgar of The Beat magazine regarded the track, along with "Vale la Pena", as "pristine pop music that is radio-friendly without insulting the listener's intelligence".[20] The Miami Herald's reviewer called the former the album's highlight and stated that the lyrics "shows Guerra at his best: as a devastating social critic with a painterly eye for detail and a gentle touch".[2]

At the inaugural Latin Grammy Awards in 2000, "El Niágara en Bicicleta" won Best Tropical Song and was nominated in the category of the Song of the Year, which went to "Dímelo" by Marc Anthony.[21][22] In the same year, the track won Tropical/Salsa Track of the Year at the 7th Annual Billboard Latin Music Awards.[23] The record was also awarded "Best Merengue Song" at the 1999 Premios Globos.[24] At the 12th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards in 2000, the single was nominated in the category of Tropical Song of the Year,[25] but ultimately lost to "Píntame" (1999) by Elvis Crespo.[26] It was acknowledged as an award-winning song at the 2001 BMI Latin Awards.[27] Commercially, "El Niágara en Bicicleta" peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs and Tropical Airplay charts in the United States.[28] Despite not reaching number one, it ended 1999 as the best-performing tropical song of the year in the country.[29]

Formats and track listings edit

Charts edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e Sellers, Julie A. (1 October 2004). Merengue and Dominican Identity: Music as National Unifier. McFarland. p. 152. ISBN 978-0-7864-1815-2. from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e Gonzalez, Fernando (30 December 1998). "Elusive Musician Returns with Catchy, Witty Songs". Miami Herald. p. 16. from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Roberts, John Storm. "Juan Luis Guerra y 440 – Fogaraté Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Ni es el mismo, ni es igual". Reforma (in Spanish). 6 December 1998. p. 17. ProQuest 310129603. Retrieved 20 June 2022 – via ProQuest.
  5. ^ "En breve". La Opinión (in Spanish). 29 October 1997. p. 2D. ProQuest 368229445. Retrieved 20 June 2022 – via ProQuest.
  6. ^ "Vuelve a dar 'guerra'". Reforma (in Spanish). 8 February 1998. p. 4. ProQuest 311604784. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Juan Luis Guerra cumple 41 años". El Siglo de Torreón (in Spanish). 7 June 1998. p. 59. from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Regresará Juan Luis Guerra y su 4-40". El Siglo del Torreón (in Spanish). 3 November 1998. p. 29. from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  9. ^ a b Gutierrez, Evan C. "Juan Luis Guerra y 440 - Ni Es Lo Mismo Ni Es Igual Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  10. ^ "De Aqui y De Alla". El Norte (in Spanish). 14 November 1998. p. 8. ProQuest 316130357. Retrieved 20 June 2022 – via ProQuest.
  11. ^ Mackenzie, Charlotte; Wright, Amaranta. "Divine Sensuality: The Genius of Juan Luis Guerra". Latino Life. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  12. ^ Lannert, John (24 April 1999). "Latin Music 6-Pack". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 17. p. LM-24. ISSN 0006-2510. from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  13. ^ a b El Niágara en Bicicleta (Media notes). Juan Luis Guerra. United States: Karen. 1999. CDS-1036.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ^ Jurek, Thom. "Juan Luis Guerra, Juan Luis Guerra y 440 - Asondeguerra Tour Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  15. ^ "Juan Luis Guerra - Entre Mar y Palmeras Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  16. ^ Sauceda, Isis (8 November 2007). "A Detailed Look at the Juan Luis Guerra Tribute". People en Español. from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  17. ^ "Juan Luis Guerra concluye grabación de su nuevo disco". El Siglo de Torreón (in Spanish). 16 May 1999. p. 64. from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  18. ^ Guerra, Juan Luis (1999). El Niágara en Bicicleta (online video) (in Spanish). Santo Domingo: YouTube. from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  19. ^ Gutierrez, Evan C. "Juan Luis Guerra y 440 - Ni Es Lo Mismo Ni Es Igual Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  20. ^ Edgar, Joel (1999). "The Boss of Bachata". The Beat. 18: 38.
  21. ^ "1st Annual Latin Grammy Awards Winners". The New York Times. 16 September 2000. from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  22. ^ "The Full List of Nominations". Los Angeles Times. 8 July 2000. from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  23. ^ Lannert, John (29 April 2000). "Catch Some Rising Stars: Artist Showcases Offer a Glimpse Into The Future of Latin Music". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 18. Prometheus Global Media. p. 16. from the original on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  24. ^ "Ricky Martin y Elvis Crespo ganan premios Globo". El Salvador (in Spanish). 18 November 1999. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  25. ^ Anchea, Maximo (27 April 2000). "El 5 de mayo entregan Premio Lo Nuestro a Musica Latina en Miami". El Nuevo Hudson (in Spanish). Advance Publications.
  26. ^ Hernandez, Mary (7 May 2000). "Lo Nuestro los premia... a la mitad". Mural (in Spanish). p. 5. from the original on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2022 – via ProQuest.
  27. ^ "BMI Honors Top Latin Songwriters and Publishers at 8th Annual Awards Ceremony". Broadcast Music, Inc. 20 April 2001. from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  28. ^ a b c . AllMusic. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  29. ^ a b c "1999: The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 52. 25 December 1999. pp. 76, 78. from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  30. ^ El Niágara en Bicicleta – Remixes (Media notes). Juan Luis Guerra. United States: Karen. 1999. 71079302152.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

niágara, bicicleta, transl, niagara, falls, bicycle, song, dominican, republic, singer, songwriter, juan, luis, guerra, band, from, eighth, studio, album, mismo, igual, 1998, song, written, produced, guerra, released, third, single, from, album, 1999, karen, r. El Niagara en Bicicleta transl Niagara Falls on a Bicycle 1 is a song by Dominican Republic singer songwriter Juan Luis Guerra and his band 4 40 from his eighth studio album Ni Es lo Mismo Ni Es Igual 1998 The song was written and produced by Guerra It was released as the third single from the album in 1999 by Karen Records A merengue rap song it sees the protagonist finding himself in a hospital that is in poor condition based on Guerra s experience in one The song received positive reactions from three music critics who praised who praise its music and social conscious lyrics El Niagara en Bicicleta Single by Juan Luis Guerra amp 4 40from the album Ni Es lo Mismo Ni Es IgualReleased1999 1999 GenreMerengue rapLength4 28LabelKarenSongwriter s Juan Luis GuerraProducer s Juan Luis GuerraJuan Luis Guerra amp 4 40 singles chronology Palomita Blanca 1999 El Niagara en Bicicleta 1999 La Hormiguita 1999 Music video El Niagara en Bicicleta on YouTubeThe song led to Guerra receiving several accolades including the Latin Grammy Award for Best Tropical Song and a nomination for Song of the Year in 2000 Commercially El Niagara en Bicicleta peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs and Tropical Airplay charts in the United States It was also the best performing tropical song of 1999 in the country The accompanying music video was directed by J C Barros and follows the same story as the lyrics Orishas performed a live cover of the song as part of the Latin Recording Academy tribute to Guerra in 2007 Contents 1 Background and composition 2 Promotion and reception 3 Formats and track listings 4 Charts 4 1 Weekly charts 4 2 Year end charts 5 ReferencesBackground and composition edit nbsp Juan Luis Guerra El Niagara en Bicicleta 1998 source source 24 second sample from Juan Luis Guerra s El Niagara en Bicicleta It features a portion of Guerra rapping in the opening and transitions to the chorus where he sings Don t tell me that the physicians have left Don t tell me you don t have anesthesia 2 Problems playing this file See media help In 1994 Guerra released his seventh studio album Fogarate a record consisting of soukous influenced merengue and merengue tipico 3 Following its release he took a three year hiatus from recording citing the need to take a break If artists lack something it is peace I needed to rest to find it and I found it in the figure of Jesus Christ I called him through prayer and received his answer Guerra stated 4 During the singer s hiatus Guerra launched his own business as a director in the Dominican Republic for Mango TV and Viva FM station 4 On 29 October 1997 an editor for La Opinion reported that the artist had started working on a new album in Miami and he said I m making a decent album that people like I know the wait has been a bit long but I m almost sure that when the public has my new production in their hands they will better understand why I ve lasted that long without recording 5 In February the following year Guerra gave an update on the progress stating the disc would have 10 to 12 tracks including merengues bachata ballads and a salsa revealing it would be released later in 1998 6 However in June 1998 Guerra was not satisfied with the material he recorded and decided to further record 7 Five months later Bienvenido Rodriguez president of Guerra s label Karen Records revealed that the singer had wrapped up the album s production and that it would still contain the genres he announced 8 The record s name Ni Es Lo Mismo Ni Es Igual was announced on 14 November 1998 and released on 15 December of the same year 9 10 Guerra wrote and produced all the tracks in the album including El Niagara en Bicicleta 9 The song s title refers to a Dominican Republic idiom meaning one is suffering economic misery 1 In the lyrics the protagonist finds himself in an emergency room after suffering from a stroke only to confront the tragicomic miseries of health care in the island 2 In her book Merengue and Dominican Identity Music as National Unifier 2004 Julie A Sellers explains that the singer protagonist describes a literal attempt to cross Niagara Falls on a bike and the pitiful public health conditions that await him in a Dominican hospital afterwards 1 The narrator is in disbelief about the lack of medical supplies and the nurse cannot perform an electrocardiogram due to common blackouts 1 In the song Guerra sings Don t tell me that the physicians have left don t tell me you don t have anesthesia 2 Musically the track is a merengue rap song 1 2 Guerra was inspired to write the song after a visit to a hospital following a high bilirubin diagnosis and recalled I told the doctor when I was getting out of there that I was going to write a song about my experience After that I wrote Niagara en Bicicleta 11 Promotion and reception edit El Niagara en Bicicleta was released as the album s third single in 1999 by Karen Records 12 13 A live version of the track was included on his albums A Son de Guerra Tour 2013 and Entre Mar y Palmeras 2022 respectively 14 15 As part of The Latin Recording Academy tribute to Guerra who was presented with the Person of the Year accolade in 2007 Cuban hip hop group Orishas performed a live cover version of El Niagara en Bicicleta 16 The music video for the song was directed by J C Barros and filmed at a hospital in Santo Domingo Dominican Republic 17 In the video like the song the protagonist is taken to a hospital after suffering from a stroke and deals with the poor conditions of the place 18 AllMusic critic Evan C Gutierrez found El Niagara en Bicicleta to be irresistibly singable 19 Jacob Edgar of The Beat magazine regarded the track along with Vale la Pena as pristine pop music that is radio friendly without insulting the listener s intelligence 20 The Miami Herald s reviewer called the former the album s highlight and stated that the lyrics shows Guerra at his best as a devastating social critic with a painterly eye for detail and a gentle touch 2 At the inaugural Latin Grammy Awards in 2000 El Niagara en Bicicleta won Best Tropical Song and was nominated in the category of the Song of the Year which went to Dimelo by Marc Anthony 21 22 In the same year the track won Tropical Salsa Track of the Year at the 7th Annual Billboard Latin Music Awards 23 The record was also awarded Best Merengue Song at the 1999 Premios Globos 24 At the 12th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards in 2000 the single was nominated in the category of Tropical Song of the Year 25 but ultimately lost to Pintame 1999 by Elvis Crespo 26 It was acknowledged as an award winning song at the 2001 BMI Latin Awards 27 Commercially El Niagara en Bicicleta peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs and Tropical Airplay charts in the United States 28 Despite not reaching number one it ended 1999 as the best performing tropical song of the year in the country 29 Formats and track listings editPromotional single 13 El Niagara En Bicicleta 4 28 El Niagara En Bicicleta 4 25 El Niagara En Bicicleta 3 59 Remixes 30 El Niagara En Bicicleta Latin Mix 4 26 El Niagara En Bicicleta House Mix 5 00 El Niagara En Bicicleta Dance Mix 7 02 Mi PC Dance Mix 3 36Charts editWeekly charts edit Weekly chart positions for El Niagara en Bicicleta Chart 1999 PeakpositionUS Hot Latin Songs Billboard 28 2US Tropical Airplay Billboard 28 2 Year end charts edit 1999 year end chart performance for El Niagara en Bicicleta Chart 1999 PositionUS Hot Latin Songs Billboard 29 11US Tropical Airplay Billboard 29 1References edit a b c d e Sellers Julie A 1 October 2004 Merengue and Dominican Identity Music as National Unifier McFarland p 152 ISBN 978 0 7864 1815 2 Archived from the original on 26 July 2022 Retrieved 26 July 2022 a b c d e Gonzalez Fernando 30 December 1998 Elusive Musician Returns with Catchy Witty Songs Miami Herald p 16 Archived from the original on 26 July 2022 Retrieved 26 July 2022 via Newspapers com Roberts John Storm Juan Luis Guerra y 440 Fogarate Album Reviews Songs amp More AllMusic Archived from the original on 29 December 2021 Retrieved 20 June 2022 a b Ni es el mismo ni es igual Reforma in Spanish 6 December 1998 p 17 ProQuest 310129603 Retrieved 20 June 2022 via ProQuest En breve La Opinion in Spanish 29 October 1997 p 2D ProQuest 368229445 Retrieved 20 June 2022 via ProQuest Vuelve a dar guerra Reforma in Spanish 8 February 1998 p 4 ProQuest 311604784 Retrieved 20 June 2022 Juan Luis Guerra cumple 41 anos El Siglo de Torreon in Spanish 7 June 1998 p 59 Archived from the original on 20 June 2022 Retrieved 20 June 2022 Regresara Juan Luis Guerra y su 4 40 El Siglo del Torreon in Spanish 3 November 1998 p 29 Archived from the original on 20 June 2022 Retrieved 20 June 2022 a b Gutierrez Evan C Juan Luis Guerra y 440 Ni Es Lo Mismo Ni Es Igual Album Reviews Songs amp More AllMusic Archived from the original on 29 December 2021 Retrieved 20 June 2022 De Aqui y De Alla El Norte in Spanish 14 November 1998 p 8 ProQuest 316130357 Retrieved 20 June 2022 via ProQuest Mackenzie Charlotte Wright Amaranta Divine Sensuality The Genius of Juan Luis Guerra Latino Life Retrieved 26 August 2022 Lannert John 24 April 1999 Latin Music 6 Pack Billboard Vol 111 no 17 p LM 24 ISSN 0006 2510 Archived from the original on 26 July 2022 Retrieved 26 July 2022 a b El Niagara en Bicicleta Media notes Juan Luis Guerra United States Karen 1999 CDS 1036 a href Template Cite AV media notes html title Template Cite AV media notes cite AV media notes a CS1 maint others in cite AV media notes link Jurek Thom Juan Luis Guerra Juan Luis Guerra y 440 Asondeguerra Tour Album Reviews Songs amp More AllMusic Archived from the original on 21 April 2022 Retrieved 26 July 2022 Juan Luis Guerra Entre Mar y Palmeras Album Reviews Songs amp More AllMusic Archived from the original on 4 December 2021 Retrieved 26 July 2022 Sauceda Isis 8 November 2007 A Detailed Look at the Juan Luis Guerra Tribute People en Espanol Archived from the original on 24 September 2021 Retrieved 26 July 2022 Juan Luis Guerra concluye grabacion de su nuevo disco El Siglo de Torreon in Spanish 16 May 1999 p 64 Archived from the original on 26 July 2022 Retrieved 26 July 2022 Guerra Juan Luis 1999 El Niagara en Bicicleta online video in Spanish Santo Domingo YouTube Archived from the original on 26 July 2022 Retrieved 20 July 2022 Gutierrez Evan C Juan Luis Guerra y 440 Ni Es Lo Mismo Ni Es Igual Album Reviews Songs amp More AllMusic Archived from the original on 29 December 2021 Retrieved 26 July 2022 Edgar Joel 1999 The Boss of Bachata The Beat 18 38 1st Annual Latin Grammy Awards Winners The New York Times 16 September 2000 Archived from the original on 10 July 2021 Retrieved 26 July 2022 The Full List of Nominations Los Angeles Times 8 July 2000 Archived from the original on 26 July 2022 Retrieved 26 July 2022 Lannert John 29 April 2000 Catch Some Rising Stars Artist Showcases Offer a Glimpse Into The Future of Latin Music Billboard Vol 112 no 18 Prometheus Global Media p 16 Archived from the original on 24 July 2022 Retrieved 9 May 2012 Ricky Martin y Elvis Crespo ganan premios Globo El Salvador in Spanish 18 November 1999 Archived from the original on 15 July 2021 Retrieved 7 September 2017 Anchea Maximo 27 April 2000 El 5 de mayo entregan Premio Lo Nuestro a Musica Latina en Miami El Nuevo Hudson in Spanish Advance Publications Hernandez Mary 7 May 2000 Lo Nuestro los premia a la mitad Mural in Spanish p 5 Archived from the original on 24 July 2022 Retrieved 24 July 2022 via ProQuest BMI Honors Top Latin Songwriters and Publishers at 8th Annual Awards Ceremony Broadcast Music Inc 20 April 2001 Archived from the original on 30 October 2021 Retrieved 20 June 2022 a b c Juan Luis Guerra Awards AllMusic Archived from the original on 3 January 2013 Retrieved 22 July 2022 a b c 1999 The Year in Music Billboard Vol 111 no 52 25 December 1999 pp 76 78 Archived from the original on 15 May 2022 Retrieved 10 December 2011 El Niagara en Bicicleta Remixes Media notes Juan Luis Guerra United States Karen 1999 71079302152 a href Template Cite AV media notes html title Template Cite AV media notes cite AV media notes a CS1 maint others in cite AV media notes link Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title El Niagara en Bicicleta amp oldid 1212945479, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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