By ESENDOM
November 18, 2025
Lea en español: Roy Tavaré dispara contra la versión de «Estrellitas y duendes» de Juan Luis Guerra con Sting
Santo Domingo. The new rendition of “Estrellitas y duendes” pairing Juan Luis Guerra with Sting has sparked a fierce conversation in Dominican music. Producer-songwriter Roy Tavaré posted a video questioning the Briton’s performance—saying “the essence of Sting isn’t there” and that he is “mangling” the Spanish language—and faulted Guerra for not getting “the most” out of The Police’s former frontman. Hours later, singer-songwriter Pavel Núñez pushed back, defending the collaboration: “Let’s not let criticism overshadow the music.”
Tavaré’s Critique
Tavaré raises two objections: that Sting’s Spanish diction does not do justice to his signature tone, and that the arrangement fails to showcase his vocal range. His criticism centers on the artistic result: in his view, this new version of the classic lacks the guest’s vocal “essence.” Tavaré’s remarks reignited a broader conversation about the limits of a cross-language featuring and what happens when styles and traditions collide.
Núñez’s Response
Pavel Núñez replied with a conciliatory but firm message: he celebrated the cultural gesture and the symbolic weight of having Sting sing in Spanish on a cornerstone of Guerra’s repertoire. He urged listeners to recognize what this meeting achieves—putting Dominican songwriting “on the main stage” for global audiences—and to value the emotion of the tribute and its cultural reach.
The Context: A Classic Re-emerges
“Estrellitas y duendes” belongs to the landmark album Bachata Rosa (1990), the record that cemented Guerra’s international impact. Thirty-five years later, the song returns with Sting singing entirely in Spanish. The official video, filmed at Power Station Studios in New York, was released November 6, 2025, quickly racking up millions of views—and drawing both praise and pushback. The track also appears on ESENDOM’s Top 25.
The Deeper Debate
At its core, the dispute is familiar: should a collaboration preserve the guest’s “essence” untouched, or can it ask the artist to step off center to serve the song? Within Dominican circles, the debate touches a point of pride—seeing a global icon sing in our language and groove to a Dominican sound. For some, this will not be the “definitive” version and ought not to be; for others, it already stands as a symbolic milestone that amplifies the Dominican musical brand worldwide.
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