The seventh annual edition of the Venezuelan Sounds concert series kicked off this Wednesday, June 23 with a Venezuelan Night at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. On friday , the musical group En Cayapa brought Venezuelan urban rhythms to the Bolivarian Hall, the cultural space of the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the U.S.
Around 800 people attended the Venezuelan Night that took place at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. They enjoyed diverse musical offerings from En Cayapa, a group of six Venezuelans that have created a new sound with a combination of piano, guitar, bass, clarinet, violin, and percussion, which, according to the members of the band, narrows the gap between the academic and the popular. During the concert, the public also savored typical Venezuelan food.
The group, which is performing in Venezuelan Sounds for the first time, also captivated the audience that attended a performance yesterday organized by the International Club of Washington, D.C. “People were very excited with En Cayapa’s music. They received a standing ovation at the end of their performance,” said Patricia Abdelnour, the embassy’s cultural attaché.
This year Venezuelan Sounds will take diverse Venezuelan musicians and performers to San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, New York, and St. Louis.
“The people of the U.S. have not been fully introduced to our culture, and Venezuelan music is so beautiful that it is always attractive. The African percussion is a shared root in the music of both our countries that is always well-liked and recognized. We hope that as many people as possible can join us,” said Abdelnour.
On The Artists
En Cayapa, harpist Leonard Jacome and clarinetist Alcides Rodríguez form part of the first installment of Venezuelan Sounds this year, which closes on July 24 with a performance by master flautist Marco Granados in the St. Louis Museum of Art in St. Louis, Missouri.
En Cayapa is part of the urban acoustic genre, a refreshing movement of young musicians that have formed chamber groups of contemporary Venezuelan music.
Leonard Jacome is the well-recognized harpist for Venezuelan singer Reinaldo Armas, but on this occasion he will perform with his own ensemble, Cuerdas bajo presión (Strings Under Pressure). Alcides Rodriguez, another Venezuelan who will perform, is a clarinetist with the Atlanta Symphony.
Venezuelan Sounds is promoted by the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the U.S. and is sponsored by the Chevron Corporation, arrives in the U.S.
2010 Events
June 25: En Cayapa, Bolivarian Hall, Washington, D.C. 7-9 p.m.
June 27: En Cayapa en the Yerbabuena Garden Festival, San Francisco, CA. 1-3 p.m.
July 7: Harpist Leonard Jacome, Folk and Roots Festical, Chicago, Il.
July 11: Harpist Leonard Jacome, Folk and Roots Festical, Chicago, Il.
July 15: Harpist Leonard Jacome, Bolivarian Hall, Washington, D.C.
July 17: Harpist Leonard Jacome, Betances Festival, Boston, MA.
July 22: Alcides Rodriguez, Bolivarian Hall, Washington, D.C.
July 23: Marco Granados, St. Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, MO.
Julio 23: Marco Granados en el Saint Louis Art Museum. Saint Louis.
Press and Communications Office of the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the United States / June 25, 2010
