Amapolas translates to "poppies". It's a beautiful and somewhat whimsical word that evokes imagery of nature and vibrant colors.
In the song, Juan Luis Guerra sings, "Van cayendo amapolas / Que me arruñan y enamoran" (Poppies are falling / That wrinkle me and make me fall in love). This line uses the delicate image of falling poppies to describe a charming and enchanting feeling, adding a poetic touch to the narrative of love across distances.
Juan Luis Guerra teams up with merengue legend Johnny Ventura for a lighthearted long-distance love song. He's stuck in Moca, his hometown in the Dominican Republic, while the woman he loves is off in Paris: "Si yo vivo en moca" ("If I live in Moca") and "Y tu allá en ParĂs, en ParĂs" ("And you there in Paris, in Paris"). Instead of moping, he turns the distance into wordplay, joking that the sky over the Pyrenees might be blue, but "Y en Moca es azulito" ("And in Moca it's a little blue") too.
He name-checks home comforts along the way — "Guardo el arcoĂris" ("I keep the rainbow") and "Las begonias de mi gĂĽira" ("The begonias from my gĂĽira tree") — turning heartache into a bouncy merengue built for dancing, not crying.
Juan Luis Guerra is a celebrated Dominican musician, singer, composer, and record producer known for his influential role in popularizing merengue and bachata music around the world. Born in Santo Domingo in 1957, he graduated from Berklee College of Music and has since crafted a distinctive style blending traditional Dominican rhythms with jazz, salsa, and Latin pop.
With a career spanning over four decades, Guerra has sold more than 15 million records globally and earned numerous accolades including 28 Latin Grammy Awards and three Grammy Awards. His poetic lyrics and innovative fusion have made hits like "Ojalá Que Llueva Café" and "Bachata Rosa" timeless classics that continue to captivate audiences internationally.