Commissioned by Amazonia Vocal Ensemble of Miami, Florida, Oswaldo Aquique’s arrangement of Juan Luis Guerra’s La Guagua brings the song’s rhythmic vitality and pointed social commentary into an a cappella setting for SATB choir and tenor soloist.
The voices become an ensemble of interlocking musical parts. A grounded bass line, crisp syncopations, and rhythmic vocal syllables establish the momentum, while the tenor soloist delivers the narrative with conversational immediacy. Exchanges between soloist and choir give the music a communal character: the story belongs both to the individual telling it and to the collective answering back. A rap passage introduces a contrasting texture, with spoken rhythms set against the continuing vocal pulse.
Beneath its festive surface, La Guagua offers an image of a society moving in the wrong direction. The bus traveling backward becomes a vehicle for questioning broken promises and calling for a change of course. Aquique’s arrangement places the choir inside that story, giving the passengers a shared voice.
Humor, urgency, and hope meet in this choral treatment. Its rhythmic energy invites listeners into the celebration, while the insistent refrain keeps the song’s central concern in view: recognizing where we are headed, and finding the collective will to turn things around.
Stay tuned for Amazonia Vocal Ensemble’s premiere of this arrangement!
