Rafa Pino y El Macuare

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Venezuelan singer and percussionist Rafa Pino is joined by several guest musicians, including Juan Diego Villalobos, vibraphone; Daniel Prim, percussion; and Jorge Glem, cuatro. The ensemble performs their version of joropo tuyero (a popular musical style resembling the fandango, traditional in the Venezuelan states of Carabobo, Miranda, and Aragua). 

This type of joropo arrived in Caracas years ago and became one of the main genres of traditional music in the capital, alongside the merengue caraqueño, the waltz, and the pasodoble. Joropo tuyero is traditionally performed by two musicians, one playing the folk harp and a singer who also plays maracas. Following this traditional practice, Pino sings and performs with maracas.

About the artists

Songwriter, singer, and percussionist Rafa Pino is considered one of the most promising voices of the new generation of Venezuelan singers. He was exposed to traditional Venezuelan music at a very young age through popular music workshops given by the Fundación Bigott. He continued his studies at the Ars Nova school in Caracas under the instruction of Maria Eugenia Atilano, with additional training from traditional music specialists Jesús Rondón, Magdalena León, and Ana Gabriela Rodríguez, among others. His diverse projects have ranged from rock, pop, and hip hop to reggae and salsa, working with such artists as Mcklopedia, Gerardo Rosales, Alfredo Naranjo, Los Colores, Lasca, and La Pagana Trinidad. His focus on traditional music has led him to collaborate with Vasallos de Venezuela, Aquiles Báez, C4 Trío, Los Cañoneros de Caracas, Afrocódigos, and the Orquesta Afrovenezolana del Conservatorio Simón Bolivar, among others. His recent solo project, Rafa Pino y el Macuare, is an exploration of Pino as equal parts interpreter and composer, in the pursuit of a current sound that fuses popular music with other traditions, transcending style and genre. His solo debut album, Catálogo de Materias Pendientes, is currently in post production. He has composed music for film, theater, and dance with such artists and performers as Miguel Issa, Belén Orsini, Oswaldo Maccio, Adriana Cols, and María Ruiz. He has been involved with Sincronciudad and Amnesty International’s Basta de Balas campaign, two public service projects that seek to improve society through art and culture as a tool, base, and ally.