Of much walking, full of native and strange voices, the musical air of a town is tempered, the essential hybrid of a new blood, of all culture that possesses in its ancestral torrent, miscegenation.

Thus our joropo, they enclosed in the Fandango their African-American origin, with few indigenous contributions and a great Andalusian strength.

The joropo derivation of the Arabic voice Xarop, which translates syrup, syrup or mead. Some scholars have "suggested the derivation of the Quechua Huarapu, which gave rise to the guarapo based on the observation of the French explorer traveler Edouard André, in the publication" Equinoctial America: Colombia-Ecuador ", edited by Montaner, in Barcelona, ​​around 1884. </ h4>

Also, as we will point out, it was called Fandango Redondo, according to the musical illustration made by Don Ramón de la Plaza in his "Essays on Art in Venezuela", and who was the first Director of the Institute of Fine Arts by decree of April 3, 1877 promulgated by the then president of the Republic Generates Francisco Lináres Alcantara.

The Oriental Joropo, acquires Venezuelan nationality at least since 1749 according to quotation that Lisandro Alvarado produces in his work "Glossary of Indigenous Voices", where he makes reference to the work of Juan José Chourrión entitled "El joropo or Jarabe Venezuelan" about a legend that He says: "In some towns and places of the captaincy of Venezuela a bayle is customarily named Xoropo escobillado, which due to its extreme movements, rudeness, heels and other dirt that inflames it, has been frowned upon by some people of the brain ..."
In a very curious fact the history of successive prohibitions of dances that in time not only manage to impose themselves as national dance, but also penetrate the same aristocratic, republican or religious halls, authors of such mistakes.

The wealth of the national joropo is present in the Venezuelan East through the variants: Sumba que sumba, savanna blanca, catira, harp hit, llabajero, half bullseye and the chorus beat.
In Sucre to the joropo llanero and especially to the run, it is called LLabajero, because it comes from "down there", from the Western Plains to the lands of the East. There the guitar, the bandolín and the bandola settled down from the colony in the stately atmosphere of Nueva Aandalucía (today Cumaná) and Angostura (today Ciudad Bolivar) to serve as an instrumental base to the interprtation of Polkas, Mazurcas, Valses and Fandangos, mainly
the Oriental Joropo Sucrense, is a joropo of combined form: blow and refrain, have two musical periods, free the first and fixed the second. The chorus given on a fixed harmonic sequence is presented by major mode or by minor mode; In this last mode, harmony manifests itself in a descending manner characteristic of the Andalusian cadence. The wealth of the national joropo is present in eastern Venezuela through the variants: zumba that hums (in major mode), white savanna, catira and golpe with refrain. In this region the bandolin and the eastern bandola (of eight strings) replaced the harp as a single instrument. On the coast of Sucre state, the cuereta or accordion has also been incorporated as a melodic instrument, constituting a curious variety within national music

In the Oriental joropo they intervene as solo instruments: the bandolin, the bandola (of eight strings) or the accordion (called in this region as Cuereta); and of accompaniment: the Cuatro, the maracas, the marimbola and the square drum. These last two instruments expanded, especially the Sucre state, as a contribution of the black communities of African origin and the Antilles, for the enrichment of these particular musical form. The ways of percussing the maracas, differs notably from the plains of the center and west of the country; it is known in the East as "Maraca Milked" due to its similarity to the characteristic movements of morning milking in the cowgirls.

The elegance of oriental dances also had an impact on their days. In the Coup and Chorus, couples are sliding on the floor, bordered the melody, without raising their feet or perform any movement of the hip, they are dances exclusively with a movement of six by eight (6/8) very well marked , in a permanent but somewhat shy manner, where the use of the legs is highlighted when weaving figures according to the melodic description of the joropo. The entrance of the chorus only indicates the introduction of a variant in the intention of the dance, something more accelerated, describing circles to different sides, but without losing the stately composure of the dance, perhaps imposed by the inheritance that the Venezuelan people assimilated from their past colonial.
The Oriental Joropo Sucrense, among its variants or genres, identifies the people in their experience, their idiosyncrasy, their way of life. It is the living expression that combines in his music, his dance and his song: love, joy and hope. Many men and women of culture in the eastern region, specifically in Sucre state, keep alive our richest popular expressions full of colors, music, poems, songs, dances wrapped in a coat of great joy. Among them we have these great popular cultists, pride of our State Sucre:

** MARÍA RODRÍGUEZ **()

On July 22, 1924 he was born in Puerto Sucre de Cumaná, who would become the inimitable voice of the sucrense song and voice of his people. He participated from the age of 14 in cultural events held in his hometown, in Sucre, throughout Venezuela and international venues such as Jamaica, Canada, Cuba, Portugal, England and the United States.
His musical themes talked about his life, his land and his traditions, especially The Tobacco Prayer, Manzanares River, El Negro Catanza, La Mariposita, La Culebra, La Iguana and El Burro, The Two Titans, Oriental Amusements and Velorios of the May Cross.

The artist received numerous awards and accolades such as the National Culture Award, the National Dance Award, Gran Sol de Oriente, Tiuna de Oro, Espiga de Oro, Order Antonio José de Sucre, Honorary Master of the National Experimental University of the Arts (Unearte), among other distinctions.

In the name of the Venezuelan people, we extend the deepest sorrow to their families for the loss of this distinguished artist, who represents an example of struggle for the identity and cultural sovereignty of the Homeland.
María Rodríguez, Patrimonial Carrier of our Nation, will remain in our hearts forever.
Outstanding performer, performer and composer.
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• María Rodrigurez and @ pipomontilla *
  

** HERNÁN MARIN **

Hernán Marín, nation in Cumaná on October 6, 1940, in the old Calle Mariño. This artist became a researcher of ancestral music and is currently one of our most precious exponents of folklore and joropo. Hernán, begins his singing at the age of 10 years. at 18 group casual occasional party. Between the years 1960 and 1973 he is part of a group of Anaco; in 73 he founded the famous group "Oriente", under the direction of the famous and always remembered Santiago Arismendi.

Songwriter, Researcher and Folklorist of great renown nationally and internationally; with whom in times of youth he could intertwine unforgettable moments of "passionate serenades"; next to his inseparable friends Santiago Arismendi (+), excellent arranger and composer sucrense; Josué Chópite and Rafa Gómez, singers.

From 1975 he began recording recordings that include compilations of folklore and songs from his own pen and experience. He has carried out actions to benefit education in various institutions of the Sucre State; awarded with "Honor to Merit" by Battalion 24 Antonio José de Sucre, among others. He has represented our country in several Festivals in Trinidad and Tobago, Miami. The Universities have also been stages where Hernán Marín has delighted the intellectual audience, not only with songs, but also with Workshops of Four, Joropo Chorpo and others about our traditions and popular expressions.

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• From left to right: @pipomontilla, Jesus "Pescaito" Gutierrez, Hernán Marin and Alfonzo Moreno. *

** JOSÉ JULIÁN VIFRANCA **

José Julián Villafranca "El Trigueño", He was born in Carrizales de Aricagua, Municipality Montes del Estado Sucre, on April 7, 1931. Musician - singer-songwriter and poet. Man Farmer, active cañicultor, with more than 50 years in agricultural and artistic work. At the age of 14, José Julián Villafranca began to express his passion for Sucre and Venezuelan music, understanding its meaning as an expression of the people and highlighting its authenticity; taking him to compose joropos, aguinaldos, meringues, fulias, points, waltzes, malagueñas, galleys and even boleros ... From his roots and peasant experience he amassed great knowledge, from which arises the sweet spring of his song and wisdom. On October 14, 1965 he founded the Peasant Theater "General Domingo Montes; and on May 13, 1977, the "Quinteto Tipico Montes" Group.

On March 13, 1977, he had his first performance with his group "Quinteto Típico Montes", in the acoustic shell of Guaiquerí Park. The group is composed by Julián Coraspe (bandolin), Fausto García (guitar), Aníbal Rodríguez (drum), Julio Ramón Villafranca (four); and "El Trigueño".

In 1988, he represented Venezuela in the First Tenth Festival of the Caribbean, held in San Juan de Puerto Rico.
The "Quinteto Típico Montes" has produced significant contributions to oriental music. They were the first to use the square drum, made with a wooden box covered on both sides with thin leather of goat, ounce or cow: "was invented in San Juanillo and its author was Juan Bautista Coraspe, brother of the performer musician the bandolin in the Quintet. Today, the idea (the square drum) of Coraspe marks the beat of the aguinaldos, fulias, galleys, joropos, malagueñas and points played by the Quintet.

"The group also exploits an invention of José Julián Villafranca: the redoubled point. This way of reciting a spinel involves the singing of the first four verses of the tenth, the advance towards an instrumental musical interlude and its ending with the recitation of the remaining six verses.

In 1994 the National Prize of Popular Culture granted by the National Council of the Culture (CONAC) ... "Its picaresque form (and humorist) to be accompanied with the maracas while it sings is a spectacle in itself.
"Accompanied by the Montes Typical Quintet, he takes us through different forms of oriental folklore: the Joropo, the Joropo Cotorreao, the Golpe y Estribillo, the Fulía, the Six Puntilleado, expressions that take shape in his voice and poetry, together with the instrumentation of the bandolina, of the cuatro, the guitar, the tambora and of the cajón that acts as double bass ".

** FRANCISCO RAMÓN COURTESY (BOY MONKEY) **
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He was born in Cumana on July 3, 1938. By profession, a bricklayer. It is one of our living patrimonies of the state Sucre, It executes the guitar, the four and the three. He is a composer. Among its icon themes is "Azucena" ...
Francisco Courtesy also popularly known as "Chico Mono", one of the great Cumans cultoreses, mandolinist, composer and Honorary Master of the National Experimental University of the Arts (UNEARTE).
Francisco Courtesy, better known as "Chico Mono", was the protagonist of the christening of his first CD with 14 songs, promoted by the National Disco Center, Cendis. Inspired by the women of his native San Luis and Guanta, Anzoátegui state, where he lived more than 10 years, Cortesía presented the album "Chico Mono y sus monitos", disc that will be released with five thousand copies, two thousand of which will be distributed in 120 private points of sale in the country.

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• @ pipomontilla and Francisco "Chicomono" Courtesy *
  

REMIGIO "MOROCHO" FUENTES
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Remigio “Morocho” Fuentes, nació en Piedra de Molé, situado en la Serranía del Neverí, municipio Montes del estado Sucre, Venezuela, en el año de 1954. Músico empírico extraordinario, proveniente de familia de músicos. Comienza a temprana edad a recibir clase de cuatro con su padre y también a tocar las maracas. A los11 años morocho se muda a la población de Canta y No Llores, donde comienza a interesarse por la mandolina. Allí recibe sus primeras lecciones del mandolinista Marcelino Salazar. Allí realiza sus primeras actuaciones como músico acompañante en las fiestas patronales, interpretando muy bién, los géneros musicales de la región: joropo estribillo, fulía, galerón, canto de maluca. Luego en busca de nuevos horizontes se muda a la ciudad de Cumaná, allí conoce a la grandiosa Cantautora María Rodríguez, y pasa a formar parte como mandolinista del Grupo Chiguao y de Comparsas de Cumaná, agrupaciones que pertenecieron al Núcleo de Sucre de la Universidad de Oriente. Despues pasa a dirigir al grupo 21 de Noviembre, por 25 años.

Remigio "Morocho" Fuentes has produced several recordings and shared cultural spaces, as a companion, with artists such as Gualberto Ibarreto, Héctor Cabrera, Pedro Hernández, Renzo Nazaret, José Ramón Villarroel, José Julian Villafranca, Hernán Malaver, Berta Vargas and Guillermina Ramírez, among others, in addition to her everlasting friends Hernán Marín and María Rodríguez. He has also taken Venezuelan folklore to other latitudes, such as the United States, England, Portugal and Puerto Rico. He is credited with valuable recognitions, among which the received as a floor musician of the University Festival of the Voice and the Unpublished Song (June 2002) for his participation in the event Luis Mariano, Simple Presence (March 2003) and as honored by the Permanent Commission of Cultural Directors of the Venezuelan Universities (November 2003). For his work as a musician and for his virtuosity in playing the mandolin, Remigio "Morocho" Fuentes has been distinguished as a Living Cultural Heritage and much loved, appreciated and admired for his simplicity, for his musical prowess and his jocular personality.
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• @ pipomontilla and Remigio "Morocho" Fuentes *

• ** JUANCITO SILVA "EL MANDOLÍN DE ORO" **
  The Yaguaracual was born, via Cumaná-Santa Fe, on March 30, 1949.
  One of the maximum expressions of our sucrense folklore is the Joropo and Chorpo, being among the best performers of this art. From an early age he began to cultivate this art, singing to the villages that have served as natural settings to his creative and interpretative capacity.

Juancito Silva is an excellent performer of the bandolina, composer and dancer, and through his pen he has taken our music to national and international stages. Likewise, he has exalted part of our sucrense tradition in musical tours with groups of high prestige, such as Serenata Guayanesa, with which he undertook a tour of Europe, touring countries such as France, Italy, Spain and England.

Among his compositions are "Yaguaracual", dedicated to his native soil, "Carmen", dedicated to his mother, "La Negra Marina", "El Pastorcito", "Maroma", "La Cayena", "Un Bello Domingo", "Entrance to Petare", among others.

"The Bandolín de Oro" has been awarded with recognitions and awards for its extensive work in the projection of our folk music, since it honors the artist and the Venezuelan popular tradition.

In addition to his musical career, Juancito Silva has stood out for the teaching of our Joropo and Chorus in workshops dictated, as an instructor of four, at the Universidad de Oriente.
Juancito Silva, as it is popularly known, was named a Living Cultural Heritage on December 18, 1994.
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• From left to right: Alfonzo Moreno, Juancito Silva, Fidel García and @ pipomontilla *
  

** ALFONZO MORENO **
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Alfonzo Moreno, was born in Cumana, on June 24, 1952. From an early age he already knew how to play guitar and cuatro and typical oriental music was his passion. He grew up listening to these great masters of Eastern Music Sucrense: Daniel Maiz, (Mandolinista), Enrique Figueroa (Bandolinista), Luis Rodríguez "Luisillo" (Cuatrista), Geraldo Oyoque among others. Taking from each to one of them its essence. He studied at the School of Music José María Gómez Cardiel in the chair of mandolin and Musical Language. He was a member of the Youth Orchestra. He has belonged to musical groups such as: Los Traviesos, "Atarraya", "Arpegio", "Crossword", "Tuimiquire", "Curare", "Policromía".
He has made record works with: Hernán Marín, María Rodríguez, Gualberto Ibarreto, Enrique Rivas, Aquiles Báez, Nicolás Real, Morocho Fuente, Lucila Becerra, Roselis Salazar, Apudons, Cuatrinka and currently with Carmelo ...

Alfonzo Moreno has trained many musicians who are now masters of the joropo Sucrense as: Luis José Sánchez, Douglas López. He has also given four workshops in schools in almost all of the municipalities in the state of Sucre and several states in Venezuela regarding the musical genres of the state of Sucre, emphasizing the joropo chorus. is an extraordinary musician, performer of the Venezuelan cuatro, is the representative of Oriental music Sucrense who has remained faithful in the defense of our musical cultural heritage, which has allowed him to take his art to different places in Venezuela and other countries.

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• From left to right: Oscar "Gavilán" Marín, Remigio "Morocho" Fuentes, Alfonzo Moreno and @ pipomontilla. *
  

** JESÚS GUTIÉRREZ "PESCAITO". **
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Jesús Gutiérrez "Pescaíto", was born in Cumaná on February 7, 1944, he is a musician of great trajectory who was a pecuniary part of the popular groups: El Conjunto Polar, Los Ases del Ritmo, Combo Casino, Los Armonicos, Los Cocoteros, Isidro and his Tigers. Later he becomes part of the folk group as a maraquero, where he leaves his seal, giving shape and color to the chorus joropo. Accompanied the most relevant and representative singers and groups of the Oriental Joropo Sucrense: María Rodríguez, Hernán Marín, Willy Tango, Geraldo Oyoque, Morocho Fuentes.

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• @ pipomontilla and Jesús Gutiérrez "Pescaíto". *