Venezuelan Merengue - Formal Musicians' Contributions

Formal Musicians' Contributions

Despite, or perhaps because its popular origins, Merengue was embraced wholeheartedly by the vast majority of Venezuela's Nationalistic classical composers. Pianist-composer Teresa Carreño wrote several merengues, and incorporated the form as an interlude in some of her pieces (for example, in her piece entitled Un Bal en Rêve). Pianist-composer Moisés Moleiro also wrote and performed merengues in his classical repertoire, as did Evencio Castellanos. Saxophonist-composer Daniel Milano Mayora penned quite a few merengues, both for popular interpretation as well as virtuoso solo piano pieces. Guitarist-composer Antonio Lauro wrote what is believed to be the first piece in the form for solo classical guitar, simply entitled Merengue (1945). Rodrigo Riera composed his first merengue for solo guitar, entitled Merengue Venezolano in the 1950s. Later, he wrote many other merengues. Singer Jesús Sevillano included several merengues in his repertoire, during the height of his singing career.

Contemporary Venezuelan formal musicians continue to cultivate and preserve the form. Jhibaro Rodriguez' (Maracay, 1971) arrangement of La Zapoara for solo guitar and León Zapata's (Caracas, 1955) composition entitled El Guaro are examples of Merengues written or arranged in the latter half of the 20th century.