6-22-09, 10:33 am

The 2009 Edition of “Venezuela Sounds” Begins

(Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Press Office, June 19, 2009) – June 20th marks the beginning of the 2009 Edition of “Venezuela Sounds.” The first tour will feature the renowned “Maestros del Joropo Oriental” and “Grupo Cumaco,” as well as the multitalented violinist Eddy Marcano, all of whom will delight audiences with their musical repertoires. The shows will be launched in five US cities, from June 20th through July 19th, and will conclude in October, in Washington, D.C.

With the support of Chevron Corporation and the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United States, these musical groups will participate in different concerts, on the most outstanding stages of San Francisco, Washington D.C., Chicago, Boston and Houston.

A Very Diverse Agenda

“Maestros del Joropo Oriental” will be opening this Venezuelan cultural tour June 20th with their Yerba Buena Gardens Festival in San Francisco, California. The Joropo Oriental is considered the most important genre of music in the Eastern Region of Venezuela. The “Maestros del Joropo Oriental” will also be featuring their show in Washington, DC, Chicago and Boston.

Cuero, Madera y Costa or “Cumaco” will arrive directly from their home state in Venezuela to make the audience dance to the rhythm of Afro-Venezuelan drums. According to the members of this musical band, their music is the perfect mix of white and black, land and sea, agriculture and fishing, the sacred and the profane. Cumaco will be performing from June 22nd until June 29th at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in the US Capital.

In October during the second stage of “Venezuela Sounds” 2009, the renowned Venezuelan violinist, Eddy Marcano, will share his talent with Washington, DC. Marcano studied in the famous Venezuelan Orchestra System (“El Sistema”) and has shined nationally and internationally as a conductor, interpreter and maestro of the violin.

Venezuelan Musical CD Launch with the Smithsonian

This edition of “Venezuela Sounds” will also feature the launch of the CD “Y Que Viva Venezuela!: Maestros del Joropo Oriental” in Washington D.C. This CD gathers more than a dozen Venezuelan musicians in a collection of live performances of the most representative musical interpretations of Venezuelan folklore, and is part of the “Traditions” series published by the Smithsonian ever since 2002. “It is a historic occasion that a world music label will sponsor and edit Venezuelan music inside the United States. The fact that Venezuelan music will have a stage and moreover, distribution within the United States is important for the diffusion of our culture in this country,” highlighted the Culture Attaché of the Venezuelan Embassy, Patricia Abdelnour.

For the sixth consecutive year, Chevron Corporation and the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Washington, DC, will join forces to promote and spread the Venezuelan culture in the United States. Shows:

Maestros del Joropo Oriental June 20th: Yerba Buena Gardens Festival. San Francisco, California. Time: 1:00 pm June 22nd through July 5th: Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Washington, D.C. For more details on this event, visit the festival webpage. July 12th: Chicago Folk and Roots Festival. Chicago, Illinois. Time: 2:10 pm.

July 14th: Dance and Music Workshops at the Old Town School of Folk Music. Chicago, Illinois. July 15th: Wednesday Night Concert Series. Old Town School of Folk Music. Chicago, Illinois. Time: 8 pm. July 18th: Betances Festival. Boston, Massachusetts. Time: 6:15 pm.

Grupo Cumaco From June 22nd until June 29th: Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Washington, D.C. For more details on this event, visit the festival webpage. Eddy Marcano October 16th: Bolivarian Hall. Washington, DC.