"Bendita la luz" by Maná featuring Juan Luis Guerra

Hola maestros!

Today's song is: "Bendita la luz" written and interpreted by Maná and Juan Luis Guerra.

Maná is a Mexican band that has been very successful in all the Hispanic World. They are great sellers in Spain, and LA. This band started in the eighties and became very famous because of the combination of rock-pop music and traditional Latin rhythms, with romantic and eco-conscious lyrics. They established a foundation (Selva Negra) to help preserve several species of turtles on the Mexican Pacific Coast, an support other ecological projects in Latin America.

See their web site: http://www.mana.com.mx/

They joined forces in this song with the greatest exponent of Merengue music from the Dominican Republic. His name: Juan Luis Guerra. 

Visit his web site: http://www.juanluisguerra.com/ 

Merengue is one of the traditional tropical rhythms result of the "mestizaje" (the blending of races) in the Caribbean Islands. The "bolero" and the waltz the Spaniards brought from Europe met the Tahíno rhythms of the Indians and the African beats of the slaves and Merengue (traditionally "Perico-Ripiao") was born in the Dominican Republic.

Juan Luis Guerra is a master of the poly-rhythm such as combining fast Merengue and Bachata in the same composition, ex. the song "Como abeja al panal". He has been making music since the seventies and he is very well known, admired, and respected among Hispanic people everywhere. He has been very successful with his band "4'40". He has also written music for several other artists.

Maná and Juan Luis Guerra are very famous and have received many awards, including MTV's, Billboard, Lo Nuestro, and many, many more.

The song I am sharing with you today is a love song. The video tell us the story of a young woman who finds out his love interest is blind and even so she is very grateful for their blessings.

The video shows the band and Juan Luis playing music together while visiting different parts of Santo Domingo the capital of the DR. It is a traditional rhythm and it shows different aspects of Latin American culture you can discuss in class like: playing music and dancing on the street, ethnic groups, drinking coffee, dancing in a club to a band playing the rhythms of the area live, and many other traditional activities.

This has become one of my students' favorite songs.

Here's the video: Bendita la luz

And the lyrics: Letra de la canción

 

I hope you all enjoy it and find it useful.

Thank you,

Paola