Juan Luis Guerra to be honored by Latin Recording Academy

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 Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2007, 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 Thursday, Nov. 8, and will be broadcast live on the Univision Network at 8 p.m./7C.
"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 November 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 (pronounced "four-forty") 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 at the time. And 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, gives loans to children's hospitals and churches for construction and development, as well as 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.
For information on purchasing tickets or tables to the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year tribute to Juan Luis Guerra, please contact The Latin Recording Academy ticketing office at 310.314.8281 or at ticketing@grammy.com.

The Latin Recording Academy is an international, membership-based organization comprised of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking recording artists, musicians, songwriters, producers and other creative and technical recording professionals. The organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for Latin music and its makers. In addition to producing the Latin GRAMMY Awards to honor excellence in the recorded arts and sciences, The Latin Recording Academy provides educational and outreach programs for the Latin music community. For more information about The Latin Recording Academy, please visit www.grammy.com.