Ojalá Que Llueva Café

Ojalá Que Llueva Café (Spanish for "Let's Hope It Rains Coffee") is the fourth studio album by Dominican singer-songwriter Juan Luis Guerra. It is considered one of the most emblematic and important albums. The album set the musical path for the posterior albums, re-formulating of Dominican Merengue and Bachata music through the contemporary idioms of pop, rock, salsa, or jazz and incorporating socially conscious lyrics with danceable merengues and romantic-poetic on bachata.

Ojalá Que Llueva Café
Studio album by
Juan Luis Guerra
ReleasedJune 1989 (June 1989)
Recorded1988–89
Studio
Genre
Length32:05
LabelKaren
ProducerJuan Luis Guerra
Juan Luis Guerra chronology
Mientras Más Lo Pienso...Tú
(1987)		 Ojalá Que Llueva Café
(1989)		 Bachata Rosa
(1990)
Singles from Ojala Que Llueva Cafe
  1. "Ojala Que Llueva Cafe"
    Released: June 1989
  2. "Reina Mia"
    Released: 1989
  3. "Visa Para Un Sueño"
    Released: 1989
  4. "Woman Del Callao"
    Released: 1989
  5. "De Tu Boca"
    Released: 1989
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Billboard(favorable)[2]

The Album received universal acclaim and it`s considered one of his best albums. Critics praised the artistic grown and innovation. Mariano Prumes from Allmusic wrote "his first masterpiece and the album that made him a star".[3] The album contained many of his classic hits including the Rock-Blues influenced "Woman del Callao". The title track, "Ojala Que llueva Cafe" , "Visa Para un Sueño" and the gosspel influced "La Gallera" contained social conscience lyrics.

The title track "Ojala Que Llueva Cafe" it is considered one of his most emblematic and recognized songs. Even, it is considered part of the folklore of Dominican Republic. The song is a metaphor for the difficult economic conditions and situation that many go through in small towns in Latin America. It was covered by Café Tacuba on their album Avalancha de Éxitos and the music video (Dir. by Peyi Guzmán) it is considered one of the best music videos in the Dominican History.[4] "Visa Para Un Sueño" refers to the struggle that many Dominicans go through to obtain a visa to be able to go to travel and stay living in the United States to escape the poor working and social conditions that many face in the Dominican Republic.

Commercially, the project became Juan Luis Guerra breakthrough album, with which he established as a superstar throughout Latin America and Europe. Also, it was his album first to gain international commercial success across the world, toping the charts in many Latin America countries and Europe. In United States, it was the third best selling tropical album of 1990. It sold over 2.5 millions of copies, including 400,000 copies sold in Spain.[5] Following the success of Bachata Rosa (1990) and Areito (1992), album sales remained strong due the reached of new audiences. To promote the record, Guerra embarked at the Ojala que llueva Cafe Tour (1990-1991).[3][6][7][8][9]

Background

At the beginning of the recording sessions, the singer Maridalia Hernández resigned from the group to continue her career as a soloist. Following her departure, the musician and composer Marco Hernández and the singer Milagros Taveras were incorporated. On a joint tour of Juan Luis Guerra and his group with fellow Dominicans Rubby Pérez and Sergio Vargas, through Venezuela, the bus that was transporting the musicians had an accident in which percussionist Ángel Miro Andújar, nicknamed "Catarey", died. July 17, 1988. Upon returning from the failed tour, Milagros Taveras separated from the group and Guerra did not want to continue leading the group, falling into a kind of "lethargy".[10]

However, Bienvenido Rodríguez, president of Karen Records, convinced Guerra that the best tribute he could do to the deceased musician was to record again. Juan Luis Guerra composed the song "Ángel para una tambora" in honor of Andújar and replaced the deceased musician with the percussionist Juan De la Cruz. After this, Guerra recorded the title track "Ojalá que llueva café", which was the first single released in June 1989, and included the participation of the Dominican children's choir "Retoños" in which Laura Rivera Taveras, daughter of Milagros Taveras, sang. This The song became the most emblematic social song of the highly successful Guerra, whose video clip was directed by Peyi Guzmán and shot in the Southern Region of the Dominican Republic and was placed on the first place of Top 15 Best Dominican music videos of all times.[11]

This album includes "Razones" which was Guerra's second foray into the salsa genre since the LP record "Soplando", for whose recording sessions the musician included the Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba. Due to the wide dissemination of the music of the now defunct Venezuelan musical group Un solo pueblo, Guerra included in the sessions, the calypso "Woman del Callao" by the Venezuelan singer-songwriter Julio Delgado. Later, "Woman del Callao", "Visa for a dream" and "De tu boca" were released, of which a remixed version was made. Some time later, Karen Records, released the CD version of the album and respected the order of the songs from Side "A" to "B" in said edition.

Critical reception

The album received universal aclaim by the critics and music fans. For many, it is considered his best album and his most emblematic.

Carlos Agudelo from the seccion of Latin Notas of Billboard praised the musical structure of the album al wrote "Practically all the songs, while keeping the freshness and happiness of tropical music, are almost experimental pieces that seek to blend merengue with such genres as pop and jazz". Also, praised the lyrical content and stated "are truly poetic and meaningful, deep expressions of the Caribbean popular experience. With their music, Guerra and his partners -classically educated musicians -have given merengue another, richer dimension"

Commercial reception

In the United States, Ojala Que Llueva Cafe debuted at number 21 on the Billboard Tropical Albums on the week of September 9, 1989. It peaked at number 2. It peaked at number 3 on the Miami Latin LPs sales. In Puerto Rico, the album debut at number four on the Cashbox Puerto Rican Lps on the week November 25, 1989. It later peaked number one. It was the third best selling Top Tropical /Salsa of 1990 in the United States and Juan Luis Guerra and 4.40 was named Top Selling Tropical /Salsa Latin of 1990.[12] Following the massive success of the following records, album sales for Ojala que Llueva Cafe remained strong for the next years. It was 17th Best selling tropical album in the United States of 1993.[13][14][15]

In Spain, the album was released in June 1990. It peaked at number 2 behind his own Bachata Rosa. As of August 1991, it sold over 270,000 copies. It eventually sold more than 400,000 in the territory.

Ojala Que Llueva Cafe is considered the album that made Juan Luis Guerra a global superstar status and Latin Sesation. Also, it was his first album to top the charts in many Latin America and Europe countries and to had significant sales. As of the end 1993, it had sold over 2.5 millions of copies worldwide.

The lead single "Ojala que Llueva Cafe" was hist first single to debut on the US Hot Latin Tracks at number 27 on the week of October 14, 1989 and reached number 21.[16][17]

Tour

To promote the album, Guerra Embarked on the Ojala Que Llueva Cafe Tour (1989-1991) which included a sold out New York's Madison Square Garden and Miami's James Knight Center concerts, as well as venues in many Latin American countries.[18]

Track listing
  1. "Visa Para un Sueño" – 3:30
  2. "Ojalá Que Llueva Café" (merencumbia) – 4:12
  3. "Razones" (salsa) – 3:59
  4. "De Tu Boca" – 4:42
  5. "La Gallera" – 3:56
  6. "Woman del Callao" – 4:23
  7. "Reina Mía" – 4:03
  8. "Ángel Para una Tambora" (merencumbia) – 3:18

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (1989–93) Peak
position
Europeans Top 100 Albums[19] 44
Miami Latin LPs (Cashbox) [20] 3
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[19] 2
Puerto Rico Latin LPs (Cashbox)[21] 1
US Top Latin Albums (Billboard)[22] 40
US Tropical Albums (Billboard)[22] 2

References
  1. Rosen, Janet. Ojalá Que Llueva Café at AllMusic. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  2. https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1989/1989-07-08-Billboard-Page-0064.pdf#search=%22ojala%20que%20llueva%20cafe%22
  3. "Cuando los sueños se cumplen, Ana Guerra canta junto a Juan Luis Guerra 'Bachata Rosa' en el cierre de gira del dominicano". Vinilo Negro (in Spanish). 2019-06-30. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  4. "Los 15 mejores Videoclips en la Historia de República Dominicana |". ensegundos.do. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  5. https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-10-16.pdf
  6. País, Ediciones El (1991-07-24). "Crítica | Juan Luis Guerra". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  7. https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1990/1990-12-22-Billboard-Page-0108.pdf#search=%22juan%20luis%20guerra%22
  8. https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/90s/91/MM-1991-09-14-OCR-Page-0010.pdf#search=%22juan%20luis%20guerra%22
  9. "Edición Especial 20º Aniversario del álbum Ojalá que llueva café - Republica.com". www.republica.com. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
  10. "Roger Zayas, memoria viva de 4-40". Acento (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  11. Diario, Listin (2010-10-07). "Bailando al ritmo de Juan Luis Guerra". listindiario.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  12. https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1990/Billboard-1990-12-22.pdf
  13. https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1993/1993-12-25-Billboard-Page-0118.pdf#search=%22ojala%20que%20llueva%20cafe%22
  14. https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/80s/1989/CB-1989-11-25-OCR-Page-0031.pdf#search=%22ojala%20que%20llueva%20cafe%22
  15. https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1989/1989-09-09-Billboard-Page-0034.pdf#search=%22ojala%20que%20llueva%20cafe%22
  16. https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1989/1989-11-11-Billboard-Page-0076.pdf#search=%22ojala%20que%20llueva%20cafe%22
  17. https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1989/1989-10-14-Billboard-Page-0036.pdf#search=%22ojala%20que%20llueva%20cafe%22
  18. https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/90s/91/MM-1991-09-14-OCR-Page-0010.pdf#search=%22ojala%20que%20llueva%20cafe%22
  19. https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1991/MM-1991-04-20.pdf
  20. https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/90s/1990/CB-1990-03-24-OCR-Page-0014.pdf#search=%22juan%20luis%20guerra%22
  21. https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/90s/1990/CB-1990-06-02-OCR-Page-0015.pdf#search=%22juan%20luis%20guerra%22
  22. "Juan Luis Guerra 440 Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-04-06.


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