Venezuelan Music Tip: ‘Las 4 Monedas’

Las 4 Monedas (The Four Coins) are pioneers of Venezuelan ska and reggae. The band, originally known as Los Hermanos O’Brien, was composed of the O’ Brien siblings Marlene, Kenny, Brenda, and Gary. The famous Venezuelan composer and producer Hugo Blanco discovered them in 1968 and changed their name.

Las 4 Monedas represents Venezuela’s “first wave” of reggae-rocksteady and was the first Venezuelan group to record a reggae song. That song,  “Buena Suerte” (Good Luck), is set to the tune of Desmond Dekker’s “007 (Shanty Town)” and is still popular in Venezuela today. The band toured the world, performing in Europe, Israel, and throughout Latin America.

Las 4 Monedas translated numerous English-language classics into Spanish, including Chuck Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven,” Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billy Joe,” and Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools.”

For more information and a discography check out these links.

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A Little Venezuelan Donkey on the Way to Bethlehem

Christmas cuteness at its finest: El Burrito Sabanero is not about food, but a favorite Christmas song in Latin America. Burro in Spanish means donkey, and burrito is little donkey. El Burrito Sabanero is about a boy who rides his little donkey to Bethlehem to see the niño Jesús.

This famous Venezuelan Christmas song, written by Hugo Blanco, gets played with about the same frequency as “Silent Night” does in the U.S. El Burrito is a joyful staple at elementary school Christmas recitals. The song is so precious that it’s not even necessary to know Spanish to enjoy it — but it has been translated.

El Burrito Sabanero has been covered by many artists, a few of which are below:

The latest version is by Incaptepec, a Latin-style jazz band. Click here for an article and the song.

Here is an adorable hip hop version by the Puerto Rican boy band Tick Tock:

The cuteness continues with a bilingual version by Bachata group, Aventura, from the Dominican Republic:

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Venezuelan Music Tip: Raising Voices for Peace

Dame Pa’ Matarla is a band based out of Yaracuy that is just starting to gain attention outside of their hometown. They have been frequently seen on the beaches near Chichiriviche, hawking CDs and performing for passersby. Now, they’re giving concerts in Caracas and all around Venezuela. And they have a blog!

We recommend the song, “Alzemos la voz en favor de la paz,” which means, “Let’s raise our voices for peace.” It is a social commentary with a positive message sung in perfect harmony. Watch the video below.

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Venezuelan Music Tip: Johnny Sigal

Meet Latin pop music’s new Juanes, the saucy young Johnny Sigal of Venezuela.

This baby-faced singer is very familiar with the stage, for he became famous while starring in a stage production of Jesus Christ Superstar — that’s right, he played Jesus.

In the past few months, Johnny has thrown off his robes, released a self-titled album, and spent time touring the U.S. If all goes well, he may be vying for Best New Artist at the Latin Grammys next year.

Check out the video for his catchy single, “Quedo en nada.”

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