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El Costo de la Vida

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"El Costo de la Vida" (transl. "The Cost of Living")[1] is a song by Dominican Republic singer-songwriter Juan Luis Guerra from his sixth studio album, Areíto (1992). The song was released as the album's third single in 1992 by Karen Records. It is a Spanish-language adaptation of soukous song "Kimia Eve" composed by Diblo Dibala. The song features Dibala on the guitar and is performed by Guerra as a merengue number. The lyrics to the song provides a social commentary to the rising cost of living, while Guerra denounces the dislevel of socioeconomics as well as political corruptions in Latin America. Guerra also references the racial identities of Latin America.

"El Costo de la Vida"
Single by Juan Luis Guerra
from the album Areito
B-side"Burbujas de Amor"
Released1992
Studio4:40
GenreMerengue
Length4:10
LabelKaren
Composer(s)Diblo Dibala
Lyricist(s)Juan Luis Guerra
Juan Luis Guerra singles chronology
"Señales de Humo"
(1992) 		"El Costo de la Vida"
(1992) 		"Mal de Amor"
(1993)
Music video
"El Costo de la Vida" on YouTube

The song received positive reactions from music critics for its social commentary and music. "El Costo de la Vida" won the Lo Nuestro Award for Tropical Song of the Year at the 1993 Lo Nuestro Awards which caused controversy with the Cuban community in Miami. Commercially, the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in the United States. The music video for the song features Guerra as a newscaster who reports about the cost of living. The video includes graphic content depicting the poverty and repression Latin American countries suffered from. Due to the violent nature of the scenes, it was censured in several Latin America countries, despite still receiving substantial play in both Latin America and the US.

Background and composition

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"El Costo de la Vida"
A 25-second sample of "El Costo de la Vida", a merengue song in which Guerra sings about the rising cost of living.[2][3]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

In 1990, Juan Luis Guerra released his fifth studio album Bachata Rosa which sold over five million copies and won the Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album in 1992.[4] The album popularized the bachata genre which became mainstream in the Dominican Republic,[5] having been previously seen as music for the lower-class.[6] When Guerra recorded the following album, Areíto (1992), he stated: "[t]here was lot of pressure for me, as well as the record label, principally because of the audience, which is always waiting for a hit. The problem is that people get used to a type of song, but an artist always has to be evolving. This album is completely different than the last one."[7] Recording took place at his 4:40 Studio in New York City with Guerra handling its production and writing the lyrics for all the tracks.[8] The final release consists of various Latin music styles including merengue, mambo, salsa, bachata, cha-cha-cha and balada.[3]

One of the album's merengue tracks is "El Costo de la Vida", which is a Spanish-language adaptation of the 1988 soukous song "Kimia Eve" by Congolese band Loketo.[3][9] The band's lead musician and song composer Diblo Dibala makes an appearance on the track playing the soukous guitar for Guerra's cover.[9] The merengue tune also features a South African melody.[10] It is one of the album's two protest songs, in which Guerra sings about "tragi-comical, socio- political realities".[10] In the song, he strongly denounces the dislevel of socioeconomics as well as political corruptions.[11] Guerra critiques the consequences of the global economic situation in Latin America and proclaims: "Nobody cares because we don't speak English, not Mitsubishi, not Chevrolet".[2] He also comments about the cost of living going up stating "you can't eat beans anymore or a pound of rice or a measure of coffee".[12] Guerra also makes references to the racial identities of Latin America since the encounter of the New World by European settlers 500 years ago and asks "but, who discover whom?"[6]

Music video

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The accompanying music video portrays Guerra as a newscaster who reports the cost of living. The news monitor behind the singer depicts graphic content with footages of starving children, the Chilean military dictatorship and the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. This content is interspersed with scenes of "erotic modern dance" and footage of Japanese sumo wrestlers.[13] The video was controversial and censured in North America and Latin America. Guerra was asked by network stations to remove the graphic content which he refused to do as it is the "reality of our nations".[14] Despite the controversy, the video received substantial play in both continents and was nominated in the category of Video of the Year at the 5th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards in 1993, but ultimately lost to "Una Rosa Es una Rosa" by Mecano.[13][15][16] It was nominated for International Viewer's Choice: MTV International at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards, which was awarded to "América, América" by Luis Miguel.[17][18] The video won Best Music Video at 1993's Soberano Awards.[19]

Promotion and reception

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"El Costo de la Vida" was released as the album's third single in 1992 by Karen Records.[20][21] The track was included on Guerra's greatest hits album Grandes Éxitos Juan Luis Guerra y 440 (1995).[22] He performed the track live as part of the set list for the Areíto Tour (1993).[23] AllMusic editor Jason Birchmeier praised it as a "witty song with a sharp socio-political edge unlike anything Guerra had written to date, let alone released as a single".[3] The Los Angeles Times critic Enrique Lopetegui called the track a "biting but gentle critique on the economic situation of Latin America".[23] John Lannert of the Sun-Sentinel stated that the song "reveals a South African melody layered over a thumping merengue beat".[10] Larry Birnbaum wrote for Newsday that Guerra "translates Zairean soukous into hip-wiggling merengue".[24] Similarly, the Rolling Stone editor Daisann McLane noted the artist "transforms a soukous by Zaire's Diblo Dibala into a bubbly merengue romp".[1]

J.D. Considine of the Rapid City Journal felt the "most interesting tracks are those that go beyond the usual stylistic boundaries of salsa", citing "El Costo de la Vida" and "Mal de Amor" and highlighted the former for its "soukous-style guitar lines that color" the song.[25] The Boston Globe reviewer Fernando Gonzalez called the track a "nod to soukous and zouk".[26] The Chicago Tribune's Achy Obejas found the music to be "playful, ironic".[27] Ramiro Burr from the Austin American-Statesman called the song a "bold, political statement".[28] Cashbox journalist Rafael A. Charres complimented it as a "phenomenal single".[29] An editor for Billboard cautioned that the music video might "slow the song's ascent" on their Hot Latin Songs chart.[21] Despite the editor's concern, it became Guerra's first song to reach the chart's summit.[30]

At the 1993 Lo Nuestro Awards, "El Costo de la Vida" won Tropical Song of the Year.[16] The accolade was met with outrage by several Cuban exiles living in Miami who accused Guerra of being a communist. "That was one of the most difficult moments in my career", Guerra recalled.[2] The backlash by the community was condemned by Cuban American singer Gloria Estefan.[31] The track was recognized as one of the best-performing songs of the year at the inaugural BMI Latin Awards in 1994.[32]

Track listing

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Promotional single[20]

  1. "El Costo de la Vida" – 4:09
  2. "Ojala Que Llueva Cafe" – 4:10
  3. "Burbujas de Amor" – 4:13

Charts

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b McLane, Daisann (15 April 1993). "Recordings - Areito by Juan Luis Guerra and 440". Rolling Stone. No. 654. p. 65. ISSN 0035-791X. ProQuest 220140217. Retrieved 9 January 2023 – via ProQuest.
  2. ^ a b c Lopetegui, Enrique (3 July 1993). "Guerra: The Hot Tropical Mixmaster". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 10 May 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d Birchmeier, Jason. "Juan Luis Guerra y 440 – Areito". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  4. ^ White, Timothy (9 July 1994). "Juan Luis Guerra's Frantic 'Fogaraté'". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 28. Prometheus Global Media. p. 3. Archived from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  5. ^ Hernandez, Deborah (2009). Oye como va!: Hybridity and Identity in Latino Popular music. Philadelphia, US: Temple University Press. p. 40. ISBN 978-1-4399-0090-1. Archived from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  6. ^ a b Sellers, Julie (2004). Merengue and Dominican Identity: Music as National Unifier. MacFarland. pp. 152, 155. ISBN 978-0-7864-1815-2. bachata rosa.
  7. ^ Lannert, John (26 December 1992). "Juan Luis Guerra Delivers Hotly Awaited Follow-Up" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 52. p. 14. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  8. ^ Cordero, Diana R. (17 September 1992). "Aqui y Alla". La Prensa de San Antonio (in Spanish). p. 14. ProQuest 368577031. Retrieved 9 January 2023 – via ProQuest.
  9. ^ a b Suárez, Jesús Lugo (7 November 2022). "'El costo de la vida', un retrato de Latinoamérica desde hace 30 años". El Heraldo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  10. ^ a b c Lannert, John (27 December 1992). "Guerra Enhances His Status". Sun-Sentinel (in Spanish). p. 3F. ProQuest 388851135. Retrieved 9 January 2023 – via ProQuest.
  11. ^ Niurka, Norma (9 July 1993). "'Mi canto lo dice todo'". El Nuevo Herald (in Spanish). p. 46. Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Padilla, Mark (15 November 2008). Caribbean Pleasure Industry: Tourism, Sexuality, and AIDS in the Dominican Republic. University of Chicago Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-226-64437-0. Archived from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  13. ^ a b Neustadt, Robert (12 June 2012). (Con)Fusing Signs and Postmodern Positions: Spanish American Performance, Experimental Writing, and the Critique of Political Confusion. Routledge. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-135-57926-5. Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  14. ^ Cabral, Euri (2008). Juan Luis Guerra y 4-40: Merengue y bachata a ritmo de poesía y compromiso (in Spanish). Santo Domingo, República Dominicana: Editora Búho. p. 220. ISBN 9789945408171. Se le pidió a Juan Luis que eliminara esa imágenes para poder ser difundido ampliamente y el líder de 4-40 dijo que no iba a quitar ninguna imagen porque esa era la realidad de nuestras naciones...
  15. ^ Lannert, John (30 March 1993). "Secada Lead Latin Noms Following Grammy Win". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 10. p. 121. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  16. ^ a b "Lo Nuestro – Historia" (in Spanish). TelevisaUnivision. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  17. ^ Lannert, John (31 July 1993). "Polygram Plans To Integrate U.S. Latin; MIV Hands Out Vid Noms; 'Tierra' Tracks" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 31. p. 31. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  18. ^ Willman, Chris (4 September 1993). "Sex, Drag and Rock 'n' Roll: Despite the Usual Provocateurs, 10th Annual MTV Awards Are Mostly Sedate". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 26 April 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  19. ^ "Premios a Artistas Destacados". El Siglo de Torreon (in Spanish). 17 February 1993. Archived from the original on 10 May 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  20. ^ a b El Costo de la Vida (Media notes). Juan Luis Guerra. United States: Karen. 1992. K-MS-16.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ^ a b Verna, Paul; Morris, Chris; Morris, Edward (12 December 1992). "Album Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 50. p. 48. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  22. ^ Birchmeier, Jason. "Juan Luis Guerra y 440, Juan Luis Guerra - Grandes Exitos de Juan Luis Guerra 4.40 Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  23. ^ a b Lopetegui, Enrique (13 July 1993). "Guerra Gives Fans Satisfying Show". Los Angeles Times. p. 2. ProQuest 281983487. Retrieved 9 January 2023 – via ProQuest.
  24. ^ Birnbaum, Larry (24 January 1993). "New Releases". Newsday. p. 19. ProQuest 278591752. Retrieved 9 January 2023 – via ProQuest.
  25. ^ Considine, J.D. (19 February 1993). "Music Modulates 'Blue Funk'". Rapid City Journal. p. D6. Archived from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ Gonzalez, Fernando (17 June 1993). "Juan Luis Guerra and 440 Areito BMG". The Boston Globe. p. 14. ProQuest 294772154. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  27. ^ Obejas, Achy (29 July 1993). "Juan Luis Guerra – Areito". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  28. ^ Burr, Ramiro (30 December 1993). "Latino hits range from tropical to Tejano Series: '93 A Look Back". Austin American-Statesman . p. 12. ProQuest 256329794. Retrieved 9 January 2023 – via ProQuest.
  29. ^ Charres, Rafael A. (2 July 1994). "Cashbox Salutes Latin Music" (PDF). Cashbox. 57 (42): 22. ISSN 0008-7289. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  30. ^ a b Roiz, Jessica (7 June 2022). "All of Juan Luis Guerra's No. 1 Hot Latin Songs Hits: 'Palomita Blanca,' 'Mi PC' & More". Billboard. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  31. ^ Lopetegui, Ernesto (22 June 1993). "Q&A With Gloria Estefan: 'Mi Tierra': Paying Tribute to Her Roots". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  32. ^ "Los Premios Latinos de BMI" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 12. 19 March 1994. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  33. ^ "1993: The Year in Music" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 52. 25 December 1993. p. YE-58. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
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