The Bolivarian Hall, the cultural space of the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Washington, D.C., was all glamour on Thursday, July 22 for a concert by Venezuelan clarinetist Alcides Rodríguez, whose performance delighted the audience during the closing event of the first part of the Venezuelan Sounds 2010 series.Rodríguez, who is part of the Symphonic Orchestra of Atlanta, was accompanied by guitar player Aquiles Báez, bassist Roberto Koch, and percussionist Jackeline Rago, as they brought to life 14 Venezuelan pieces during an evening full of standing ovations for the musical ensemble.
With exceptional skill, Rodríguez and the group performed pieces composed by Báez and others that are mandatory references for popular Venezuelan music, such as Antonio Carillo’s “Cómo llora una estrella,” Ricardo Sandoval’s “Cruzao Joropo Oriental,” and Heraclio Fernández’s “El Diablo anda suelto,” the latter of which is considered extremely difficult to perform.
The clarinetist expressed his appreciation for having been invited to perform in Venezuelan Sounds 2010, saying, “This night has been extraordinary; the public has been very warm and I enjoyed each of the pieces we performed thanks to the energy in the room.”
Venezuela’s ambassador, Bernardo Álvarez, took the opportunity to thank the embassy’s Cultural Attaché, Patricia Abdelnour, for her seven years of work. “Thanks to the tireless work, she has produced important advances in the diffusion of Venezuelan culture in the U.S. We regret that her work here is done, but we are happy that she is returning to Venezuela to continue the task of contributing to Venezuelan and Latin American culture,” said Ambassador Álvarez.
Abdelnour thanks the ambassador for his words and expressed her satisfaction not only with the success of Venezuelan Sounds 2010, but also with prior editions of the series that have built a cultural bridge between Venezuela and the U.S.
Venezuelan Sounds is an initiative promoted by Ambassador Álvarez and sponsored by the Chevron Corporation.
More pictures of the concert here:
Press and Communications Office of the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the U.S./July 23, 2010
