"Alma Llanera" ("Soul of the Plains") is a Venezuelan song, a

joropo The joropo, better known as Música Llanera, is a musical style resembling the fandango, and an accompanying dance. It originated in the Llanos of Venezuela 300 years ago and it has African, European and Native South American influences. The ...

, created by

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

n musicians Pedro Elías Gutiérrez (composer) and

Rafael Bolívar Coronado Rafael Bolívar Coronado was a Venezuelan composer and author. He was born on 6 June 1884 in Villa de Cura, Aragua State. Bolívar is best known for writing the lyrics of the popular joropo song '' Alma Llanera'', in conjunction with compose ...

(lyricist). It was originally part of a

zarzuela () is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular songs, as well as dance. The etymology of the name is uncertain, but some propose it may derive from the name o ...

whose premiere was on September 19, 1914, at the Teatro Caracas. ''Alma Llanera'' has since come to be considered as Venezuela's unofficial second national anthem. Its hundredth anniversary was marked by its being declared ''

Bien de Interés Cultural (, , , ) is a category of the heritage register in Spain. The term is also used in Colombia and other Spanish-speaking countries. The term literally means a "good of cultural interest" ("goods" in the economic sense). It includes not only mater ...

''.

Song

The first part of Alma Llanera is inspired on the waltz Marisela by composer Sebastian Díaz Peña from Venezuela, while the second part of Alma Llanera is inspired on the waltz Mita by the Curaçaon composer Jan Gerard Palm (1831-1906). The title refers to the

Llanero A (, 'plainsman') is a Venezuelan and Colombian herder. The name is taken from the Llanos grasslands occupying eastern Colombia and western-central Venezuela. During the Spanish American wars of independence, lancers and cavalry served in b ...

s, the herders of

whose culture is part of the country’s popular imagery. The llanero culture is at the root of the joropo, firstly as a dance and then as a

musical genre A music genre is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions. Genre is to be distinguished from musical form and musical style, although in practice these terms are sometim ...

. It is a tradition in Venezuela to end any social reunion or party with the intonation of ''Alma Llanera''. The OSV ( Venezuela Symphony Orchestra) made an arrangement of this piece of music to commemorate the 75 years of this widely popular song. Today, ''Alma Llanera'' is considered as a Latin America landmark song and has been performed by many famous singers all over the world such as the Spanish tenor,

Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...

, and Mexican ranchera legend,

Jorge Negrete Jorge Alberto Negrete Moreno (; 30 November 1911 – 5 December 1953) was a Mexican singer and actor. He specialized in the musical genre of ranchera. His posthumous album "Fiesta Mexicana Volumen II" has been ranked by critics at No. 163 on t ...

Lyrics

The original lyrics of the ''Alma Llanera'' are as follows:

''Yo nací en esta ribera''
''del Arauca vibrador,''
''soy hermano de la espuma,''
''de las garzas, de las rosas,''
''soy hermana de la espuma,''
''de las garzas, de las rosas''
''y del sol, y del sol.''
''Me arrulló la viva Diana''
''de la brisa en el palmar,''
''y por eso tengo el alma''
''como el alma primorosa,''
''y por eso tengo el alma''
''como el alma primorosa''
''del cristal, del cristal.''
''Amo, lloro, canto, sueño''
''con claveles de pasión,''
''con claveles de pasión.''
''Amo, lloro, canto, sueño''
''para ornar las rubias crines''
''del potro de mi amador.''
''Yo nací en esta ribera''
''del Arauca vibrador,''
''soy hermana de la espuma,''
''de las garzas, de las rosas''
''y del sol.''

A translation:

''I was born in this bank''
''of the vibrating Arauca River,''
''I am sister of its foam,''
''of the herons, of the roses,''
''I am sister of its foam,''
''of the herons, of the roses''
''and the sun, and the sun.''
''I was lulled by the vivid reveille''
''of the breeze in the palm grove,''
''and so I have the soul''
''like the exquisite soul,''
''and so I have the soul''
''like the exquisite soul''
''of the crystal, of the crystal.''
''I love, I weep, I sing, I dream''
''with carnations of passion,''
''with carnations of passion.''
''I love, I weep, I sing, I dream''
''to adorn the blonde mane''
''of my lover's colt.''
''I was born in this bank''
''of the vibrating Arauca River,''
''I am sister of its foam,''
''of the herons, of the roses''
''and the sun.''

References

{{reflist

External links

Listen Alma Llaneralisten to instrumental Alma Llanera

The Great Soprano and Tenor of China sing Alma llanera.
Songs in Spanish Venezuelan songs Venezuelan folk music Joropo

Song

Lyrics

See also

References

External links