Saúl Vera
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Saúl Vera | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Born | October 2, 1959  Caracas, Venezuela |
| Genre(s) | Venezuelan popular music, Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | musician, bandola executant, composer, musical director |
| Instrument(s) | bandola llanera |
| Associated acts | Saúl Vera y Ensamble |
| Notable instrument(s) | |
| cuatro, mandolin, maracas | |
Saúl Vera (born October 2, 1959) is a Venezuelan musician, bandola executant and composer.
At the age of seven, began to learn the exceution of the cuatro and the mandolin next to his older brother. Through him he knew diverse popular musicians who had influence in his musical formation.
At the age of 16, initiates his bandola studies, received particular classes with Eduardo Serrano and made formal studies at the Jose Lorenzo Llamoza music school, where learned jazz harmony and piano with Gerry Weil.
In 1976 began learning to play the bandola llanera, a stringed instrument from the lute family played in the Venezuelan plains since the 16th century, also by his own initiative, learned to execute all the stringed instruments used at the Venezuelan music. In 1980, was invited by the government of Japan to a youthful interchange, since then he let the university to concentrate himself definitively at music.
In 1986, founded the group Saúl Vera y ensamble for the diffusion of the folk and popular Venezuelan music, integrated by: flute, French Oboe, clarinet, Bassoon, horn, bass, maracas, cuatro, among other instruments.
In 1989, made a national tour with the program Music and Traditions, from which the first recorded compact disc in the country was made.
Since 1991 one evolves like Coordinator of the factories of music of Fundarte, worked with venezuelan musicians, like: Simón Díaz, Soledad Bravo, Cecilia Todd, Yordano, Franco de Vita, Alberto Naranjo and Serenata Guayanesa, among others. Also has acted in important scenes of Venezuela, Cuba, Guatemala, Nicaragua, France, Finland, Barbados and Germany, among others. Has participated in The Nancy and Dijon Folk Music Festival, Dock Festival, Caritesta Festival, Hamburg Festival, and tours through the Canary Islands, between others.
His interest in the bandola encompasses not only performance of the instrument, also a fascination of its cultural context and development. Saúl Vera has taught both mandolin and bandola at several conservatories in Caracas, and is the author of the only known bandola llanera method using a tablature that dates from the beginning of this stringed instrument.
