The Rough Guide to the Music of Venezuela

Various Artists (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 17, 2003)
• Original Release Date: October 21, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: World Music Network
• ASIN: B0000CNXD9
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #168,581 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > World Music > South & Central America > Venezuela

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
If you think that Venezuelan music is all about the fiery salsa jams of Oscar D'Leon and La Dimension Latina, prepare yourself to be enlightened. As celebrated in this eye opening volume from the Rough Guide series, Venezuela's musical riches cover a wide array of styles and genres, from the lilting joropo and the festive gaita to the South American nation's own brand of calypso. Still, most of the 19 tracks here have a few elements in common: soulful female choruses, earthy touches of African-influenced percussion, and gorgeous cascades of string instruments. Besides uncovering indispensable--though relatively obscure--artists such as Quinto Criollo and Vasallos del Sol, compiler Dan Rosenberg has been wise enough to select lesser-known tunes by the expected favorites. The most charismatic vocalist in contemporary salsa, D'Leon is not represented by one of his many hits, but rather by the brassy "Ariel" and the sinuous "Los Cadetes." The only serious omission? The big-band swing of Billo's Caracas Boys and the rock en espanol lounge of Los Amigos Invisibles are sorely missing from this otherwise perfect disc. --Ernesto Lechner

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Que bonita es la musica de Venezuela, June 29, 2004

By	D. Pawl "mariposarosa2" (Seattle) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This album is a great introduction to musica Venezolana and is also a great CD period for those of us who already know and love the diverse styles and sounds that come from the beautiful country. I can proudly say that I descend from the rich and varied culture of Venezuela on my father's side. I really wanted to learn more about my music and all the variations of its genres and flavors.

A ROUGH GUIDE TO THE MUSIC OF VENEZUELA takes a great sampling from musicians and styles (llanera waltz, Afro-Venezuelan music, joropo, gaita...and, of course, it wouldn't be the same without a couple of tracks from "El Leon" himself, Oscar de Leon). Some of my favorite tracks are the gorgeous "Gavilan," a catchy and danceable salsa track, "Caballo Viejo," a traditional llanera tune, "Pajarillo Revuelto," a song with gorgeous accompaniment, and the touching "Pajarillo Verde" (recorded by the legendary Soledad Brava).

I cannot begin to reccomend this album to you enough! Please give it a listen. There are so many beautiful types of Latin music that go beyond salsa! (I say this with full respect because I love salsa as well. It's just well worth exploring the rich sounds of other rhythms and voices you might not be familiar with.)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Suenos venezolanos, July 7, 2005

By	Lawrence Waldron (Queens, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm surprised that a compilation could so capture me. This music haunts me. Venezuelan music in all its myriad forms can have that effect. It comes wafting over the radio waves into neighboring Colombia and Trinidad and our mouths hang open in astonishment. Sometimes we wipe a nostalgic tear, often we get up and dance, sometimes we press our ears to the speakers to figure out "what is that instrument they are playing?" Well here is an eclectic mix of what Venezuela has to offer, without the static on the radio. You can answer for yourself why their Boleros are so heavenly and bittersweet, why their Palo sounds so African, why their Parranda is so hearty, why their voices are so salty and full of life's pathos.
And then there are things on here that you cannot categorize so easily...typically syncretic:Venezolana tipical.