Venezuelan director John Petrizzelli's award-winning 1998 documentary about Llanero singer Juan de Los Santos Contreras, better known as El Carrao de Palmarito, is a classic of the genre.
The 26-minute film is in Spanish but non-Spanish speakers will still enjoy the music and the images of the Llanos region.
For more information about the life of El Carrao de Palmarito, who died in 2002 aged 74, click here:
From drumming with its roots in Africa, to Spanish-influenced guitar and harp music and the indigenous contribution of maracas, Venezuelan music is largely unknown outside the country. With a blog based on videos of key groups and individuals I hope this music will reach a wider public and get the attention it deserves. Joropo, calypso, tambores, salsa, cumbia, pop, rock, Latin jazz, electronica - even slushy love songs by soap opera stars - Venezuela has it all.
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