The Cuban Silvio Rodríguez and the Dominican Juan Luis Guerra face off in the grand final of the World of Spanish-Speaking Artists, a popular voting tournament organized on social media by La Chirichota, a comedic-musical group from the Canary Islands that has captured the hearts of audiences and stages across the Spanish-speaking world.
Voting is open until Monday, July 6, and the results will be announced on Tuesday, July 7. To participate, simply write the name of your favorite in the comments—a method that is as simple as it is effective, having already generated 158 comments and nearly 3,000 views just on Facebook.
The tournament host spared no drama in announcing the final: "Finally, the final of the Hispanic Spoken Artists World Cup is here. A final much more awaited than that of the Soccer World Cup; there's no comparison." It's hard to argue with someone who managed to get thousands of people passionately debating music instead of talking about the weather.
The road to the final was not easy for either. Silvio Rodríguez arrived here after defeating Celia Cruz in the quarterfinals —which already raised more than one eyebrow— and then overcame the Argentine Gustavo Cerati in the semifinals. Juan Luis Guerra, for his part, eliminated Gloria Estefan in the quarterfinals and the legendary Mercedes Sosa in the first semifinal of the tournament, leaving more than one fan with a broken heart.
The presenter described the finalists as "two very different artists but with a common link: creativity and two very important factors, composition and instrumental execution," and acknowledged that the week was not without turbulence: "It has been a thrilling week, full of debate, discoveries, analysis, and recounts. And a few absurd arguments from people who don’t talk about music." Regarding those less musical participants, he was blunt: "They are the minority; we will not take them into account."
The differences between the two finalists are as significant as their merits. Silvio Rodríguez, born in San Antonio de los Baños in 1946, is the flagship of the Nueva Trova Cubana, a movement he founded alongside Pablo Milanés, Noel Nicola, and Vicente Feliú. With over 20 albums and nearly 400 songs—including "Unicornio," "Ojalá," and "Te doy una canción"—his figure is inseparable from the Cuban cultural imagination, for better or worse depending on whom you ask. Juan Luis Guerra, trained at the Berklee College of Music, redefined bachata and merengue for the entire world: over 30 million records sold, three Grammys, and 31 Latin Grammys underscore a career that began with the albums Soplando (1984) and Mudanza y acarreo (1985), which skyrocketed with "Bachata Rosa" in 1990, and it hasn't stopped since.
The curious thing is that these two artists have a shared history that few remember. In 1993, Juan Luis Guerra was booed at the Lo Nuestro gala for having performed a duet with Silvio Rodríguez in the Dominican Republic months earlier. Years later, in 2011, both shared the Casandra award in the Dominican Republic, as if history had decided to give them a second chance to be together on stage, this time without booing.
The comments from followers reflect the level of the debate: some argue that Silvio is pure poetry and a guitar without artifice, while others point out that Juan Luis Guerra has accumulated more Latin Grammys than an average album has songs. There are those who vote with their hearts and those who vote with the discography in hand. Some prioritize political views over musical ones, and in Silvio's case, they criticize him for his often-demonstrated support for the Cuban dictatorial regime.
On Tuesday, July 7, it will be revealed who will be crowned as the best Spanish-speaking artist according to the followers of La Chirichota. Until then, the voting remains open and the debate, heated.
Filed under: