Ni Es Lo Mismo Ni Es Igual (CD - 1998)

Personnel includes: Juan Luis Guerra (vocals, guitar); Rafael Payan (guitar); Francois Bauhaud (cello); Leo Pimentel (accordion); Juan Colon (alto & tenor saxophones); Arturo Sandoval (trumpet, flugelhorn); Angie Machado, Roden Santos (trumpet); Tonito Vasquez, Jose Flete (trombone); Marco Hernandez (piano, synthesizer); Juan Valdez, Luis Marin (piano); Pedro Perez, Hector Santana (bass); Lee Levin (drums, programming); Isidro Bobadilla (percussion); Juan De La Cruz (tamborine, congas, bongos, timbales, maracas); Charlie Sierra (bongos, timbales); Jimmy Morales (congos); Luis Enrique, Edwin Bonilla, Daniel Berroa (percussion).

Engineers include: Eric Schilling, Mike Couzzi, Carlos Alavarez.

MI ES LO MISMO NI ES IGUAL was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Performance.

MI ES LO MISMO NI ES IGUAL won the 2000 Latin Grammy Award for Best Merengue Performance, the Award for Best Engineered Album and was nominated for Album Of The Year. "El Niagara En Bicicleta" won the 2000 Latin Grammy Award for Best Tropical Song.

"El Niagara En Bicicleta" won the 2000 Billboard Latin Music Award for Tropical/Salsa track of the year.

Personnel: Juan Valdez (piano); Juan Luis Guerra (guitar); Arturo Sandoval (trumpet, flugelhorn); Lee Levin (drums, programming); Jimmy Morales (congas); Charlie Sierra (bongos, timbales); Luis Enrique, Edwin Bonilla (percussion); Mariela Mercado, Frank Ceara, Juan Rizek, Audrey Campos (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Eric Schilling .

Recording information: 440 Studio, NY, NY; Crescent Moon, Miami, FL; Criteria Studio; Kíu Y Midilab, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; New River Studio.

Director: Juan Luis Guerra.

Arranger: Juan Luis Guerra.

Dominican singer/songwriter Juan Luis Guerra belongs to that select group of artists who have changed the course of Latin American pop with an inspired combination of strong melodies and literate lyrics: Silvio Rodriguez, Pablo Milanes, Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso, and Ruben Blades. Just like Blades expresses his socio-political beliefs through the percolating rhythm of salsa, Guerra does exactly the same with the two major dances of his native country: the bachata and the merengue.

Guerra's merengue, however, is different from the traditional kind you hear on the radio. He has slowed down the beat, added vocal harmonies inspired by Anglo music, and introduced stylistic elements from other genres as well. The opening "Mi PC," for instance, sounds like a merengue, but the lyrics combine a subtle dose of eroticism with computer technology. And the flavorful ballad "La Hormiguita" talks about the sensuous meeting of a man and a woman with warmth and humor. minimize