Hello, awesome people of Read.cash. I send a message of solidarity to all of you who have been affected by the Odette typhoon. And if any of you want to help in any way those who were affected, please read this post by @bmjc98.

I owe this post about Gaitas to my friend @JuanyChelme. Last weekend when I commented that I would be attending a Gaitas Festival, Juany thought I was referring to bagpipes. But no, Gaitas in Venezuela is a musical folk genre. It's native to the state of Zulia which is in the western part of the country.

Its historical origin is not very well defined but it began as a song of religious devotion. But over time its themes are very varied. Some have elements of social criticism, love, jokes, fun, and even political elements.

And from what I could read, the name gaita comes from the gothic gaits, which means "goat". And one of the emblematic instruments of the gaita is the Furro or Furruco, and its membrane is made from the skin of a goat.

Other musical instruments present in the traditional Gaitas are Maracas, Cuatro, Charrasca, and Tambora.

And even Gaitas are originated in the Zulia region, now are listened throughout the country, and are associated with the Christmas season.

However, some Gaitas bands that have transcended the borders of the country can listen throughout the year.

The gaitas season in Venezuela and especially in the state of Zulia officially starts on November 18, the day of the Virgen de la Chquinquira, La Chinita, who is the patron saint of the Zulia region. That day is celebrated the Feria de la Chinita, which although it is a festival originally with a religious sense has become over the years in a big party with big concerts and events where the Gaita has a leading role.

I don't usually listen to Gaitas when listening to music, but I do like them at a Christmas party or at some event in December like the one's last weekend.

One of the Gaitas I like the most is Sin Rencor composed by a Venezuelan musician called Negito Borjas from the group Gran Coquivacoa. Another classic that reminds me of my childhood, that became fashionable at that time, and has a lot of influence by the Colombian musical genre cumbia is Amparito from the group Maracaibo 15.

And the fact is that the Gaita has become a fusion of rhythms. There is little left in the most recent gaitas of the first traditional ones. An example of this is that perhaps the most internationally known Venezuelan musical group of the genre, Guaco. In their music, they mix the gaita with Latin pop.

To finish, let me tell you a little about what I did last weekend and what was the origin of Juany's comment.

For many years in Caracas, the students of the last year of high school of some Institutes form groups of Gaitas and make intercollegiate festivals. The tradition is so old that I participated when I was in high school. Last weekend was the festival organized by the Gaitas group of my son's school.

Many schools performed, most of them with impressive choreographies, which on the one hand is admirable but on the other hand has made the presentations a little far from what is traditional Gaitas.

Last Sunday I attended another event where the Gaiteros from my son's school also performed. This time in the square of one of the neighborhood of the city.

The event at the plaza started in the afternoon. There were fewer presentations than on Friday, but the atmosphere was very festive too. I talked about both events in a post I made on Hive a few days ago, in case you would like to take a look at it, A weekend of music and fun.

Having clarified what Gaitas is for Venezuelans. Let's keep with the festive spirit, and I will vote with 0.20, the first ten comments that tell me the name of a Gaita song of the band Guaco. And to be fair and so that there isn't too much advantage and that everyone has to do a little search on the internet. If the person commenting is Venezuelan, he/she should put the year of release of the song. ;)

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Until next time! ;)

December 18, 2021