Arranged and performed by some of the most renowned musicians in Venezuela and the USA, this is an energetic and refreshingly beautiful selection of popular instrumental folk pieces, including joropos, valses, merengues, and gaitas. A treat for the ears.

14 MP3 Songs
LATIN: Latin Folk, WORLD: South American

Details:
Fucho and his world-class musical colleagues recorded this album in Caracas, Venezuela in 2006, working with recording engineer/musician Daniel Grau (Studios Grau). The sound quality is phenomenally rich and full, and each of the 14 tracks is a truly fine sample of world music at its best.

True to form, Fucho performs his lively maracas and cuatro on every track of this album. The other members of the Tres Plus One Quartet are Henry Rubio (harp), Pedro Gómez (bass) and Manuel Urbina (Latin percussion). The special guest artists are José Ortega (piano), Jesús Muñoz (mandolin and bandola), Ramón Hernández (harp), Alberto José Requena (clarinet) and Daniel Grau (keyboards).


Playing time: 44:55


âFUCHOâ (Rafael de Jesús) APARICIO

Fucho was born and raised in San Fernando de Apure, in the âLlanosâ (plains) region of Venezuela -- the âheartlandâ of Venezuelan folk music â and he has lived and breathed music since he was five years old. Percussion was his first love, and now Fucho is acknowledged as one of the best maraca players in the world. He is also a self-taught expert of the Venezuelan cuatro. At the age of six he joined his brothers and his sister in the folk ensemble known worldwide as âLos Hermanos Aparicioâ, recording numerous LPs and touring internationally.

He has also been invited to play, tour and record with many other Latin American Folk, Classical, Latin Jazz, Gypsy Jazz, Salsa/Caribbean, Brazilian and âWorld Musicâ artists and groups, among them harpists Juan Vicente Torrealba, Henry Rubio, Celso Duarte and Ramon Romero, the Tacoma Youth Symphony, The Seattle Peace Chorus, Correo Aereo, Los Flacos, Cuerdas de Fuego, The Snake Trio, The Venezuelan Music Project, Irene Farrera, Samia Panni, Hot Club Sandwich, Jovino Santos Neto, Joe Santiago & The Salsa All-Stars (Giovanni Hidalgo & Pablo Rosales), Arturo Sandoval, Abdelli and others.

Fucho has been a Visiting Professor at the UW School of Music, Department of Ethnomusicology, and he has taught a number of Master Classes, including one at the 1998 Percussive Arts Society International Convention and many others at colleges and universities, public schools and music institutes. He enjoys teaching students of all ages about the percussion and string instruments of Venezuela and Latin America.

He resides in the Seattle area, and he is currently working on producing his next album, due out in 2008.

People who are interested in Ensamble Gurrufio should consider this download.