Estrellitas y Duendes

Juan Luis Guerra's "Estrellitas y Duendes" is merengue at its most enchanted — a fairy-tale production complete with tiny percussion patterns that genuinely seem to sparkle, the sonic world matching the lyrical imagery of stars and sprites with unusual precision. Guerra's arrangements have always been orchestrally minded, and here the horn section serves a purely magical function, bright and slightly improbable, exactly as a duende should be. The vocal is warmer than his more politically engaged work, the wordplay playful rather than pointed, though even here his facility with language is unmistakable — every line chosen for sonic pleasure as much as meaning. This is party music with a literary pedigree, the song that makes you dance while appreciating the poetry, a combination Guerra has made his signature. Perfect for a celebration that doesn't want to be too serious about itself.