One of this year's top bachata songs belongs to a Mexican-American from Wisconsin.
El Güero y Su Banda Centenario's Ven Tú is a soulful lament about electronic love built on the slinky guitars and pop melodies originally found on Domenic Marte's bachata track by the same name. The romantic single broke just after El Güero ("white boy") scored his biggest hit to date with the lonesome Antes.
Since their debut in 2004, El Güero has turned out pop ballads that wouldn't sound out of place on a Luis Fonsi album as on El Fantasma de Su Amor and the reworked Una Vez Más. But El Güero's bread and butter is bouncy Duranguense.
A native of Milwaukee, Jorge "El Güero" Hernández was only 9 years old when he began singing and playing keyboard in the family band. Now 28, the blue-eyed singer-songwriter also plays guitar, percussion and drums. In 2001, El Güero and his younger brother, Rogelio, moved to San Antonio, Texas to take advantage of the city's bustling Mexican Regional scene. The Hernández brothers then hooked up with their uncle, songwriter-producer Ramon González-Mora (Conjunto Primavera), who signed them to his label, A.R.C. Discos. The band released its 2004 debut, Para Mis Compas, and continued to crank out nearly an album a year, including the band's latest, Antes… y Después.
El Güero y Su Banda Centenario's current single, Se Nos Murio El Amor, is currently streaming on the band's MySpace.
