Music of Venezuela
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Several styles of the traditional music of Venezuela, such as salsa and merengue, are common to its Caribbean neighbors. Perhaps the most typical Venezuelan music is joropo, a rural form which originated in the llanos, or plains.
Genres
Joropo
Joropo was developed by creative artists such as
Folk
Another very popular music in Venezuela is the
Other forms of Venezuelan folk music are tensively recorded and researched due to the work of
Caribbean
Venezuelan calypso music (including Calypso de El Callao), imported from Trinidad in the 1880s by immigrants arriving during a gold rush, has its own distinctive rhythms and lyrical style. Another imported genre is Cuban-American salsa, which has produced several domestic superstars, including Oscar D'Leon. Dominican merengue, Cuban and Colombian Latin pop acts such as Billo's Caracas Boys, the Porfi Jiménez Orchestra and Los Melódicos.
Pop and rock
Electronic music
In the late 1960s and early 1970s a few Venezuelan artists began experimenting with sounds, using emerging electronic equipment that was being produced. Artists like
In the late 1990s a very strong electronic music movement spread through the country. Several big multimedia festivals took place, such as "Caracas No Duerme," "AX," "Petaquire," and "Mare Nostrum." These events combined music with the video and performance art of Venezuelan artists such as Luis Poleo, Frank Wow, and Sony. The main bands/DJ's of this era are Ojo Fatuo, DJ Oddo and DJ Wyz.
From 2000 until present, a lot of Venezuelan artists have made a strong movement into different underground music styles. The most significant ones are:
Classical music
Venezuela has also produced classical composers such as:
Venezuela also has
Composers
Juana Maria de la Concepcion, commonly referred to as Conny Méndez, born 11 April 1898 in Caracas, was a composer, singer, writer, caricaturist and actress who produced more than 40 compositions, such as: Yo soy venezolana, Chucho y Ceferina, La Negrita Marisol, Venezuela Habla Cantando, and many others.
Rubén Cedeño, composer of folk and children's music of Venezuela, he appears in the Venezuelan music encyclopedia.[2] Singer, composer, investigator, painter and writer.
His most recognized works are: The Aguinaldo Que Navidad part of the Venezuelan Christmas repertoire and interpreted by the mezzo-soprano Morella Muñoz, Cantata infantil Simón Bolívar, Misa de mi Tierra among others. It was National Prize of popular music of the INAVI with his valse Nora. The hymn Hail to the Statue of Liberty, received the congratulation of President Ronald Reagan.
Antonio Lauro composed a large body of classical guitar works, adapting traditional Venezuelan waltz and folk songs for the instrument.
Gustavo Matamoros is a renowned Venezuelan composer dedicated to the experimentation with sound and its relationship with the human mind and culture. He has worked mainly with contemporary techniques such as electroacoustics, mixed media, performance, installations, radiophony and multimedia spectacles. He resides in the US. The work of composer, arranger and musical producer Jesús "Chuchito" Sanoja is considered an important part of the Venezuelan cultural patrimony.
Notable musicians and groups
Other Venezuelan performers of note are
See also
References
Citations
- Brill, Mark. Music of Latin America and the Caribbean, 2nd Edition, 2018. Taylor & Francis ISBN 1138053562
- Peñín, José y Walter Guido. Enciclopedia de la Música en Venezuela, Tomo I. Caracas. ISBN 980-642-803-X
- Rosenberg, Dan and Phil Sweeney. Salsa con Gasolina. 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), World Music, Vol. 2: Latin & North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific, pp 624–630. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. ISBN 1-85828-636-0
External links
- (in French) Audio clips: Traditional music of Venezuela. Musée d'ethnographie de Genève. Accessed 25 November 2010.
- BBC Radio 3 Audio (60 minutes): Afro-Venezuelan music of the coast. Accessed 25 November 2010.
- BBC Radio 3 Audio (60 minutes): Harp playing cowboys of the central plains. Accessed 25 November 2010.
- Llanera Music