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Bachata Rosa made the Dominican Republic's obscure country style of bachata an international hit with elaborately witty, sensual lyrics and catchy melodies. It sold four million copies worldwide and paved the way for the current popular wave of bachata artists like Monchy & Alexandra. On Fogaraté! (1994) he blended another obscure Dominican style, raucous perico ripiao, with African soukous.

Although love songs are a large part of his repertoire, social themes continue to inspire Guerra. The video for 1992's El costo de la vida (The cost of living), a sharp look at the troubles of poverty, was banned in parts of Latin America. It's a concern that is still rare among popular Latin musicians.

"It's part of our daily life in the Dominican Republic -- our newspaper gives me ideas,'' Guerra says. "When I heard Rubén Blades doing this with salsa, that opened the door for me to think I could do the same with merengue. But I think there's a lot more to be done on this line, and I don't know why others don't do it."