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Venezuelan Joropo. Drawing by Eloy Palacios (1912)

Fulía in celebration of la cruz de mayo, Carapita, Caracas

Velorio de Cruz de Mayo, drawing by Anton Goering (1892)

Los Aguinalderos, Carabobo, Venezuela (1953)

Several styles of traditional Venezuelan music, 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. This musica llanera was developed by creative artists such as Juan Vicente Torrealba, Ignacio Figueredo and Angel Custodio Loyola, who helped to popularize the music throughout the country. Since then a slick, contemporary form of pop-llanera has developed which has earned the scorn of some purists who perceive it as stale and watered-down. Some singers, such as Simon Diaz and Reynaldo Armas have maintained a huge following over the years. In a similar vein, there is also neo-folklore, which takes traditional music and arranges it in an electronic style, for electronic instruments.

Another very popular music in Venezuela is the gaita. This genre originated from the region of Zulia state and is very popular during the Christmas season. The gaita united to the Aguinaldo, conforms the national representation of the Venezuelan Christmas.

Other forms of Venezuelan folk music are extensively recorded and researched due to the work of Caracas-based Fundaciopn Bigott. African-derived percussion (including multiple rhythms, such as sangeo, fulia and parranda) is perhaps the best documented musical form. Fundacion Bigott has also produced groups such Un Solo Pueblo, Huracán de Fuego and Grupo Madera. These more experimental fusion artists combine rumba, Latin jazz, joropo, salsa and other forms of Latin American music.

Venezuelan calypso music, imported from Trinidad in the 1880s by immigrants arriving during a gold rush, has its own distinctive rhythms and lyrical style.

Another imported genre is Cuban-American salsa, which has produced several domestic superstars, including Oscar D'Leon. Dominican merengue and Latin pop acts such as Billo's Caracas Boys, the Porfi Jiménez Orchestra and Los Melódicos.

Juana Maria de la Concepcion, commonly referred to as Conny Méndez, born April 11, 1898 in Caracas, was a composer, singer, writer, caricaturist and actress who produced more than 40 compositions, such as: Yo soy venezolana, Chucho y Ceferina, La Negrita Marisol, Venezuela Habla Cantando, and many others.

Aldemaro Romero is a prolific Venezuelan composer, he has created a wide range of music, such as Caribbean, jazz, Venezuelan waltzes and symphonic works, which helped to modernize Venezuelan folk music.

Pop music and rock are very popular too, and several bands have had considerable success over the years. Some well known bands are the ska band Desorden Publico, pop-rock act Caramelos de Cianuro, Los Amigos Invisibles, possibly the most successful internationally, and the now extinct but influential groups Sentimiento Muerto and Zapato 3.

In the late nineties a very strong electronic music movement spread through the country. Several big multimedia festivals took place, such as "Caracas No Duerme," "AX," "Petaquire," and "Mare Nostrum." These events combined music with the video and performance art of Venezuelan artists such as Luis Poleo, Frank Wow, and Sony. The main bands/DJ's of this era are Ojo Fatuo, DJ Oddo and DJ Wyz.

Some Venezuelan pop musicians, such as Ricardo Montaner, José Luis Rodríguez "El Puma", Franco DeVita, and Ilan Chester have gained popularity in other Latin American countries,

Venezuela has also produced classical composers such as: Moisés Moleiro, Teresa Carreño (who was also a world-renowned pianist), Eduardo Marturet (who is primarily an international conductor), Antonio Estévez, Federico Ruiz (who also works with other genres) and Vicente Emilio Sojo (known for his contributions to Venezuelan musicology and music education). Roberto Ruscitti followed in their footsteps.

Other Venezuelan musicians of note are: Alberto Naranjo, Cheo Hurtado, Hernán Gamboa, Gualberto Ibarreto, Juan Carlos Salazar, Huáscar Barradas, Cecilia Todd, Vidal Colmenares, María Teresa Chacín, Luis Silva as well as the groups Serenata Guayanesa, Guaco and Ensamble Gurrufio.

• Rosenberg, Dan and Phil Sweeney. "Salsa con Gasolina". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), World Music, Vol. 2: Latin & North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific, pp 624-630. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. ISBN 1-85828-636-0

• Afro-Venezuelan drum dancing in Choroni
• Information and music by Roberto Ruscitti
• Video clips of Venezuelan music