When we think of the Latin diaspora in 2021, the first country that springs to mind is Venezuela, a nation with a rich tapestry of fantastic music. For many years, it was a country so culturally self-sufficient and self-contained, that there was little knowledge about its music abroad. Even among DJs or collectors, Venezuelan music was a rarity.
Even greats such a Simon Díaz and Guaco, revered by musicians around the world, never needed to leave the country much to achieve adoration, wealth and success. With a booming local market, it was never as profitable to tour as it was to play inside the country. In addition, contrasting to the great consumption of music, the Venezuelan music industry itself was pretty much dormant; some interesting projects came to life, but no new band broke internationally.
That started to change about 10 years ago. As violence, political and social unrest, increasing poverty, insecurity and repression gripped the country, more and more Venezuelans started to leave. Inconceivably to Venezuelans, their country, once a refuge to immigrants from Europe, the Middle East and the neighbouring countries, was now producing one of the biggest refugee crisis in the world.
In this crisis, desperate to survive, musicians and bands have had to find ways to get the music out there and finally Venezuelan music is finding spaces and platforms to shine. Local musicians are becoming internationally recognised and rightly so! Here are some of those artists making or reinventing their careers abroad. From hip hop to salsa, from pop and rock to alternative, all releasing fantastic music in exile.
Apache
From Las Minas, Venezuela...now in Medellin, Colombia
The quality of Venezuelan hip-hop is undeniable, despite its relative obscurity, having produced international artists such as Cancerbero, Lil Suppa, McKlopedia, Akapellah and…Apache, who was at the centre of this movement as part of Quarto Poder crew. As a solo artist, Apache went on to have a very successful commercial career, and achieved international notoriety with his collaboration with Cancerbero.
In 2018, Apache decided to move to Colombia to embark on new stage of his career: “In the end we just had to leave. We make a living out of music and it got to the point where there were no events or any kind of music activities happening. We got a proposal to come to Medellin and we seized it. Surprisingly when we arrived, we had a decent fan based and that helped, so things have been going well here”
Having found his feet in Medellin, the current epicentre of Latin music, perhaps it’s natural that Apache’s become reflective away from home and in his 7th studio album “Apache” the Caraqueño goes back to his roots, coming out delivering a gem of an album.
See full interview with Apache here
Laura Guevara
From Caracas, Venezuela...now in D.F. Mexico
Caracas born singer- songwriter Laura Guevara was a rising young talent in Venezuela. She plays cuatro, piano, violin as well as Afro- Venezuelan percussion and writes about love, hope, diversity, happiness and the abuse of power - urban ballads rooted in folk, reggae, swin and funk.
Back in Venezuela, Laura’s involvement in the student movement and an outspoken critic of the government gave her a dangerously high profile. When a fellow protester died next to her, after being shot in the chest by police with a tear gas cannister, Laura knew it could have been her and she decided to leave.
“I ended up in Mexico with no papers, and was held in a woman’s prison. There I met women who had been through terrible trauma and it was heart-breaking to hear their stories. One was 14 and had been raped since she was 7 and her only escape was through the caravana. There were two sisters who were in search of their mother who had gone to the US. Before I left, the women asked me to play for them and the head of the prison allowed me to retrieve my cuatro and gave a concert. Those memories of making them dance, laugh and cry will stay with me forever.”
See full interview with Laura here
Raúl Monsalve
From Caracas, Venezuela...now in Paris, France
Afro-Venezuelan music is one of the Caribbean’s best kept secrets. It has long been revered by music connoisseurs for its richness and complexity, but mostly unknown to an international audience. That has been changing in the last few years and Raul Monsalve, leader, brain and bass player behind Monsalve y Los Forajidos is spearheading this mission in Europe. In this Paris-based band, ancestral Afro-Venezuelan rhythms meet futuristic Latin jazz, raw funk and afrobeat. Monsalve leads an all-star ensemble of musical trailblazers including, singers Betsayda Machado and Luzmira Zerpa (Family Atlantica) and drummer Dave De Rose (Agile Experiments, Moloko, Mark Ronson).
After having dedicated much of his life back home to learning traditional Afro-Venezuelan music, studying under some of Venezuela’s greatest percussionists, in Europe he developed this knowledge further with a masters in an ethnomusicology. “For the band I am a source of learning as well as just a band leader”he explains: “There is very primary Venezuelan material abroad to learn
From so one of the challenges of having this band is teaching band members, all high level musicians, Venezuelan rythmns, as well as getting hold of Venezuela’s very particular instruments, such as the Quitipla.”
Monsalve’s latest album "Bichos" got all the blogosphere talking because of its groovy sounds, but beyond that this is one of the most forward thinking and originals Venezuelan records in years, mixing up Funk, afrobeats and everything in between and delivering a fantastic result.
Grupo C4
From various cities, Venezuela...now in Miami (USA), Calgary (Canada)
C4 is an ensemble of Venezuelan cuatro players formed by Jorge Glem, Hector Molina, Edward Ramírez along with bassist Rodner Padilla. Considered the Best cuatro performers in the world, their skill and virtuosity attracted international attention after their Latin Grammy Award in 2014. With their passionate knowledge of traditional repertoire - and especially the joropos –they have crossed the boundaries of folk towards jazz and beyond, transforming the cuatro into a versatile and contemporary instrument, capable of appearing in all imaginable musical contexts.
In 2019 they won another Latin Grammy for Best Folk Album for their album "Tiempo al Tiempo", featuring Luis Enrique and another (best arrangement) for the song Añoranza (yearning), about yearning for your homeland.
“We are three Venezuelans and one Nicaraguan who are going through the same thing. Everyone who was recording this song in the studio felt that. That yearning to be in the backyard of your house with your family but you can't,” Jorge Glem told Billboard magazine. “This song is composed, played, performed for all those people who have had to leave their countries.”
“It is a reality that many people live, we sing about it from our hearts as Venezuelans and Nicaraguans, but this happens in Africa, in Europe, all over Latin America.” Hector Molina added. “It is the story of people who have to leave their countries against their will.”
Arya
From Yaracuy, Venezuela...now in Milan, Italy
A fresh up-and-coming artist based in Milan, Arya is a singer/songwriter with massive potential. Daughter of Orlando Watussi, a well-known Venezuelan salsa singer, she started singing lessons with Professor Andrea Tosoni and, at the end of 2018, released her first single, 'A Distant Night' followed by 'Blossoms' in 2019 and has just released her debut album "Peace Of Mind." Carving her own path, with her warm, smooth voice and introspective lyrics, Arya freely moves between nu soul and rap, hip hop and R'n'B and is definitely one to watch.
“My first memory is in one of our countless trips by car, and my father teaching me to hear the clave. Not to count, but to feel. At that moment something clicked in me. I used to travel with my dad when he performed in Europe and South America. Recently, it’s been more and more difficult to go back to Venezuela, both for the cost and the political instability. I'll always carry regret with me, for not being in Venezuela for important moments, like to spend time with my Grandma during the last few days of her life.”
see full interview with Arya here
Marcial Isturiz
From Capaya, Venezuela...now in Colombia (various cities) Marcial is a sonero, in the classic salsa tradition, of which there are few left in the world. Considered as one of the masters of the new generation of salsa improvisers, Marcial is also a percussionist, bass player, pianist, composer and arranger...a real talent. Honing his craft in the cult salsa group Bailatino, Marcial’s skills led him to be considered the heir to Oscar D' Leon in the pantheon of Venezuelan salseros. Two years ago, in a chance trip to Colombia, his destiny changed when he was invited to sing for the world-renowned Grupo Galé, led by Diego Galé, one of Colombia’s most famous salsa musicians and Marc Anthony’s percussionist of choice.
“I went to do a recording session as a guest singer in Diego Gale’s studio. On hearing me sing Diego invited me to perform with him in a concert. I didn’t know it but by chance one of the singers was leaving the band and within these few days I got offered the spot in the group.”
In the latest album of Grupo Galé you’ll hear Marcial on half of the tracks. With a reputation as a consummate professional, in addition to his talent, with luck and hard work, Marcial will earn his rightful place in Venezuela’s long line of illustrious sonero legends.
La Chica
From Merida, Venezuela...now in Paris, France
After studying violin and then piano for 13 years in the Paris music conservatory, in 2010, Sophie became a founding member of the all-female band 3SOMESISTERS. In 2013 she embarking on her solo project, La Chica, where she began to harness her eclectic range of influences from Fania All Stars, Rage against the Machine, Juana Molina, The Beatles and Debussy. Her first album ‘Cambio’ was released on 2019, and she has recently released 'La Loba' dedicated to her late brother. Through these songs, she expresses a new learning of life in the absence of a loved one.
Born in Merida, raised in Paris, it is clear that La Loba lives on another planet entirely, her own planet where “everyone should watch more octopus videos. Beautiful and smart creatures that fill you with love: the world would be more peaceful.”
Joaquin Arteaga
From Caracas, Venezuela...now in Barcelona, Spain
The Barcelona-based salsa-dura outfit Tromboranga seemingly came out of nowhere when it first exploded onto the music scene in 2011 with hit singles such as Agua que va caer. From then onwards the group has become the most popular salsa band on the planet, with world tours, sell out shows and lauded albums. Made up of Cubans, Venezuelans, Colombians and Spaniards, the group’s unapologetic dedication to old-skool salsa dura seemed to accrue unlikely success in an age where reggaetón is dominating the dancefloor, winning two LUKAS Awards, Best Salsa Band and Best Album.
Joaquin remembers how it all started: “I arrived in Barcelona from Venezuela and I’d always wanted to have a trombone orchestra. When I met Vladimir, our trombone player, and I told him, ‘Listen I want to do this band and I have these songs’, and he was up for it. We recorded Agua que va caer and it was just supposed to be a demo, but the DJs started playing it and then just two weeks after we had been recording, people started asking, ‘Who’s that?’ Everyone started calling for concerts and so we had to do the first album, which sold a lot. I was amazed - and then people started asking for more music and we started recording every year. It was kind of like an explosion.”
Natalia Luisbassa
From Caracas, Venezuela...now in London, UK
Coming up through Venezuela's world famous El Sistema, Natalia became the first person to obtain a degree in Orchestral Conducting in Venezuela. She completed her postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Music in London, and stayed to become a Professor of Conducting there. Since then, Natalia has dedicated herself to promoting the conducting craft for young people. She works regularly with the National Children’s Orchestra, is Principal Conductor of the Wellington College Symphony Orchestra and works alongside violinist Nicola Benedetti in the national education project The Benedetti Foundation.
“Coming to the UK, the Royal College of Music opened the doors for my development as a conductor, but El Sistema sowed the idea in me of the orchestra as a tool for social change, and that has not changed. We Venezuelans put passion and rhythm into everything we do and my Venezuelan heritage shows in the way I conduct. I am a dancing conductor. The way we Venezuelans gesticulate when we speak, the way we walk with a certain rhythm, shows in my conducting technique too.”
You can find interviews with the above artists on our website www.latinolife.co.uk
