This CD is the culmination of a life long dream to record music from my home country, Venezuela,
and to be able to bring its beauty and excitement to audiences everywhere. The different styles presented in this
album represent the musical forms typically heard and most commonly enjoyed by the Venezuelan listener. These styles
include the Joropo the Merengue, the Tonada, the Gaita, and the Waltz (or Valse), Aside from these popular Venezuelan
styles, I have also included some very popular Latin forms including the Brazilian Choro, the Argentine Zamba,
and the Bossa Nova.
A brief description of each form:
JOROPO: A dance form from the plains of Venezuela
and Colombia, This is a lively couple dance where the man wears a sombrero while holding his hands behind his back,
and the woman is dressed in a very colorful skirt, which she waves around as the man dances around her, stomping
a very strong rhythm with his feet.
MERENGUE: Originally a dance, this is mostly used as
an instrumental piece because of its complicated 5/8 beat. "Traditional Potpourri" starts out as a merengue
and half-way through, it changes into a Joropo, "The Fruit Man" is a straightforward merengue.
TONADA: Also a form from the plains, this originally
came from the shepherd songs of Spain, but in this case, it is used by the cowboy, who tells his woes to the cow
as he gently milks her. Tonadas are generally a capella" (solo) songs often performed outdoors. I had originally
written "Tonada of the Dawn" as a piece for solo flute.
GAITA: A dance form typical of the region of Maracaibo,
Venezuela (where I was born), this is one that is generally associated with the happy spirit of Christmas, and
it features the use of several unusual drums in a strong rhythm. In our version of "Feeling for Zulia",
the bass player imitates the drum by knocking on the box of his bass, while the cuatro player also plays in a very
rhythmic fashion.
VALSE: The Venezuelan Waltz is a direct descendant
of its European ancestor with the exception of the syncopated rhythms often used in the melodic structure, We decided
to include a Viennese Waltz by Kreisler "Beautiful Rose-Marie" to compare the uniqueness of the Venezuelan
rhythm and the special sound and flavor of the Venezuelan cuatro. The other two Waltzes, "Morning in Caracas"
and "Andreina," are reminiscent of the colonial period in Venezuela.
CHORO: A popular form in Brazil, especially around
the turn of the century, the word "Choro" means "to cry" -- as such, it was originally a very
passionate and lyrical song. Ironically, musicians over the years began interpreting this form as a vehicle through
which they could display their virtuosity, and it became a very lively and happy form. In our version (selection
#12), "Apanhei-te Cavaquinho," the cuatro imitates the Brazilian instrument called the "cavaquinho."
ZAMBA: The Zamba of Argentina is a melancholic form
that comes from the interior of the country. Our "Alfonsina and the Sea", was made famous by the South
American singer Mercedes Sosa.
BOSSA NOVA: A very sensuous song form from Brasil, this selection (#13) was used in the film "Black Orpheus."
Musicians who participated in Sunflute:
Cheo Hurtado - Cuatro, Guitar
Born in Ciudad Bolíva, Venezuelar in 1960, Cheo Hurtado began studying cuatro with his father, Don Ramón
Hurtado, at seven years of age. In 1973 he won the National Cuatro Festival in Ciudad Bolívar. Since then
he has been noted for his use of the cuatro as a solo instrument in concerts and recordings, activities which he
has alternated with the playing of various other stringed instruments such as the Guianese bandolin, the mandolin,
the tres, the guitar and the bass. Besides his participation in the Gurrufío Ensemble, of which he is a
founding member, Cheo Hurtado has performed as a soloist in tours to the USSR, Japan, Colombia and the Netherlands
Antilles.
David Peña - Double Bass
Born in 1962 in Caracas, Venezuela. David Peña studied double bass in the Nolasco Colón School under
Professor Félix Tovar. He completed his professional preparation with studies in guitar and mandolin. He
has worked with various singers and groups, representing Venezuela in international tours. Since 1990 he has been
a member of the Gurrufío Ensemble.
Guests Artists on the CD:
Luis Julio Toro - Maracas
Nelson Sardá - Recording Engeneer & Drums
Carlos Rojas - Pandeiro
Sunflute Pieces
CD repertoire
1- Venezuelan Potpourri - Venezuelan Dance Joropo - Heraclio Fernandez - Trinidad Rosales
2- Morning in Caracas - Venezuelan Waltz - Evencio Castellanos
3-
The Flight of the Fly - Brazilian
Choro - Jocob Bittencourt
4- Feeling for Zulia - Venezuelan Gaita - Jose Rodriguez
5- The Hibiee-Jibiees - Venezuelan Dance
Joropo - Marco Granados
6- Andreina - Venezuelan Waltz - Antonio Lauro
7- Traditional Potpourri - Venezuelan Dance Merengues & Joropos - Lino Gallardo/Lorenzo Herrera/Tradicional
8- Waltz of Forgetting - Venezuelan Waltz - Marco Granados
9-
Beautiful Rose-Marie - Viennese
Waltz - Fritz Kreisler
10- A Trip to Apure - Venezuelan Dance Joropo - Genaro Prieto
11- Alfonsina and the Sea - Argentinean Zamba
12- Apanhei-te Cavaquinho - Brazilian Choro - Ernesto Nazareth
13-
Carnival Morning - Brazilian
- Luis Bonfa
14- The Fruit Man - Venezuelan DAnce Merengue - Cruz Felipe Iriarte
15- St. Joseph - Venezuelan Waltz - Lionel Velasco
16- Tonada of the Dawn - Venezuelan Tonada - Marco Granados
