Merengue-star Guerra brings Latin beat to Japan |
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Japanese fans welcome Latin music-star Juan Luis Guerra's Asian debut SHOWS: FUKUOKA, JAPAN (RECENT) (HANDOUT - MUST COURTESY "ISLA DE SALSA, FUKUOKA, JAPAN") 1. DOMINICAN SINGER JUAN LUIS GUERRA'S BAND PLAYING MUSIC 2. DRUMS 3. GUERRA APPEARS ON STAGE AND STARTS SINGING "LA TRAVESIA" 4. FANS 5. VARIOUS OF GUERRA SINGING 6. CHORUS DANCERS 7. GUERRA SINGING 8. GUERRA WALKING ON STAGE 9. WIDE OF STAGE 10. FANS 11. WIDE OF CONCERT TOKYO, JAPAN (RECENT) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 12. BUILDINGS AND PEDESTRIAN CROSSING IN SHIBUYA 13. SIGN READING "LATIN AMERICAN SALON" 14. NEWS CONFERENCE BY GUERRA 15. JAPANESE REPORTERS 16. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SINGER JUAN LUIS GUERRA SAYING: "I had dreamed of coming to Japan because I wanted to spread Caribbean music, especially merengue and bachata that I do, to other countries beyond Latin America and the United States." 17. JAPANESE FLAG 18. GUERRA TALKING TO REPORTER IN INTERVIEW 19. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SINGER JUAN LUIS GUERRA SAYING: "I saw many Japanese people who are fans of my music, which was a pleasant surprise. I saw Japanese people singing bachata, dancing and even crying with my songs. And that truly filled me with a lot of pleasure. 20. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC PIN FLAG ON HIS JACKET 21. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SINGER JUAN LUIS GUERRA SAYING: "The public order and the transportation system in Japan are something that impressed me very much." 22. GUERRA GIVING AUTOGRAPH FUKUOKA, JAPAN (RECENT) (HANDOUT - MUST COURTESY "ISLA DE SALSA, FUKUOKA, JAPAN") 23. VARIOUS OF GUERRA SINGING "VALE LA PENA" 24. FANS 25. GUERRA SINGING 26. KEY BOARD PLAYER 27. GUERRA SINGING 28. FANS 29. WIDE OF STAGE STORY: Latin music star Juan Luis Guerra made his Asian debut with three concerts in Japan earlier this week, attracting about 7,000 fans. The award-winning singer said coming to Japan was a long-standing aspiration. "I had dreamed of coming to Japan because I wanted to help spread Caribbean music, especially merengue and bachata that I do, to other countries beyond Latin America and the United States," Guerra, widely known as the "King of Merengue," told a press conference in Tokyo. Guerra performed two shows in the southern Japanese city of Fukuoka, and one in the capital Tokyo, entertaining Latin music fans with old and new songs including "La Travesia" and "Vale la Pena." "I saw many Japanese people who are fans of my music, which was a pleasant surprise. I saw Japanese people singing bachata, dancing and even crying with my songs. And that truly filled me with a lot of pleasure," Guerra told Reuters Television. The Dominican singer said he enjoyed eating sushi and taking a ride on the "shin-kansen" bullet train during his visit. "The public order and the transportation system in Japan are something that impressed me very much," Guerra said. The 52-year-old singer has sold more than 20 million records worldwide and has won numerous awards, including 11 Grammy and Latin Grammy awards. ENDS.
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