"Venezuela, the joropo" Tote Bag

The Joropo music is played with the arpa llanera (harp), bandola, cuatro, and maracas (ibid), making use of polyrhythmic patterns, especially of hemiola, and alternation of 3 4 and 6 8 metres. It was originally played, most often also sung, by the llaneros, the Venezuelan Llanos, (plains), and thus also called música llanera (ibid). Until the mid-twentieth century, and with regard to the region of the plains of Venezuela, the joropo word referring to a social event almost a fair- for a period that could vary from a few hours and even a full week. There participating local people or coming from various places, generally attracted by trade, where the central event it was the music, dance and contrapunteos.