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.
Guaco is a tropical music band from Venezuela that was formed in Maracaibo by Mario Viloria, Alfonso "Pompo" Aguado, and Fernando Domínguez in 1968. Viloria, the main founder, retired to focus on his college studies; he was the group's main composer for several years. His home was also the main place where practices were held in the group's early years. The name Guaco is attributed a bird named "Guaco" that would fly over Viloria's house every morning. The band began as a gaita zuliana group, and during the 70s diverged from the traditional way of playing the genre by integrating it with elements of salsa music, and adding in violins and electric guitars which were very unusual instruments to be included in a gaita band. Today, the Guaco rhythm continues to evolve through a complex mixture of Gaita, Salsa, pop, jazz, funk and even rock and roll and Vallenato rhythms, concocting a recognizable and unique style that is considered to be a hallmark of the tropical music genre.
Caramelos de Cianuro is an alternative rock band from Venezuela formed in 1991.
Hugo Blanco was a popular Venezuelan musician. He is best known as the author of "Moliendo Café" and other songs like "El Burrito Sabanero", "Leche Condensada", "Luces de Caracas", "Sierra Nevada" and "Mañanita Zuliana". "Moliendo Café", written in 1958 when Hugo Blanco was only 18 years old, has become one of the most recognized Venezuelan songs in the world.
Desorden Público is a Grammy nominated ska band founded in 1985 in Caracas, Venezuela.
Gran Coquivacoa is a Venezuelan gaita zuliana group founded in 1968 by Jesús "Bocachico" Petit, Nelson Suárez, Rody Tigrera, Pedro Arteaga and Manolo Salazar in Cabimas, Zulia State.
Óscar Emilio León Simosa, known as Oscar D'León, and affectionately called The Pharaoh of Salsa, The Lion of Salsa, and the World's Sonero, is a Venezuelan musician and bassist best known for his salsa music. He is the author of "Llorarás", which he recorded in 1974 with his group, Dimensión Latina. He is also an ambassador for Operation Smile.
Plaza Monumental Román Eduardo Sandia, also known as the Plaza de toros de Mérida, is a bullring in the city of Mérida, Venezuela. It is the second largest venue for large scale cultural and artistic events in the city after the Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano and the location for bullfights of the Feria Internacional del Sol.
Venezuelan rock is rock music from Venezuela, the most common being based on Rock en Español.
Chino & Nacho is a Venezuelan pop duo, consisting of Jesús Alberto Miranda Pérez (Chino) and Miguel Ignacio Mendoza Donatti (Nacho). In 2010, the group won a Latin Grammy for Best Urban Album for Mi Niña Bonita.
La Vida Bohème is a rock band from Caracas, Venezuela, formed by Rafael Perez, Daniel De Sousa, Sebastian Ayala, and Henry D'Arthenay in late 2006 and mid-2007. The band takes influence from late '80s punk, disco, funk, electronic music, jazz, salsa, reggae and dance music. Their first recording is a self-titled EP that includes three songs La Vida Bohème is Henry D’Arthenay, Daniel Briceño, Daniel de Sousa, and Sebastián Ayala. In 2008, they won the Festival Nuevas Bandas.
Lasso, is a Venezuelan singer and composer.
Víctor Antonio Drija Vivas is a Venezuelan actor, singer and dancer, best known for portraying Victor on the Boomerang Latin America series Somos tú y yo.
The 26th Lo Nuestro Awards were presented by the American network Univision, honoring the best Latin music of 2013 in the United States. The ceremony took place on February 20, 2014, at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida beginning at 5:00 p.m. PST. The Lo Nuestro Awards were presented in 33 categories and it was televised by Univision. Mexican singer Ninel Conde and Cuban American actor William Levy hosted the show.
"Andas en Mi Cabeza" is a song by Venezuelan duo Chino & Nacho from their upcoming fifth studio album, which was never released due to their break-up. It features Puerto Rican singer Daddy Yankee. The track was written by Miguel Ignacio Mendoza and Daddy Yankee, and produced by Jumbo. Machete Music released it as the album's lead single on February 19, 2016. A music video for the song was directed by Nuno Gomes and released on April 19, 2016. It features people proposing their significant others in various original ways. Chino & Nacho performed the song live as part of numerous televised performances and their Radio Universo Tour.
Anaís Vivas is a Venezuelan singer. She had remarkable success with her debut album Ser, positioning her songs "Muero por ti" and "Por el resto de mi vida" in the Record Report music chart in 2011, and obtaining international recognition with an HTV Heat Award for Best Female Artist.
Sig Ragga is an Argentine reggae fusion band formed in 1997. The band consists of Gustavo "Tavo" Cortés, Ricardo "Pepo" Cortés, Juan José "Juanjo" Casals (bass) and Nicolás Gonzalez. The band has released four studio albums and received five Gardel Award nominations and seven Latin Grammy Award nominations.
Christopher John Baietta Manrrique,, is a Venezuelan singer, songwriter and producer known by his stage name Chris Baietta. He was part of the group Equilibrio and the duo Less & Chris.
The Mara de Oro Awards are a gala organized by the Fundación Mara de Oro de Venezuela e Internacional. They are the oldest awards in Venezuela in terms of arts and entertainment. With its slogan, "rewarding the best of the best", in each installment the categories evaluated by expert personnel in the area have increased, covering literature, medicine, social sciences, politics, among other guilds.
