Various Artists - ¡Y Que Viva Venezuela! Maestros del Joropo Oriental

Music that has roots, that has identity, has a powerful strength, says musician-producer Aquiles B�ez about the joropo oriental of eastern Venezuela. Amid the anonymous global musical mix, masters of this string-driven, highly improvised, local music spin out endless threads of artful melody woven into a rich rhythmic fabric. This all-star group of Venezuelan masters applies a rainbow of sounds - guitars unique to the region, button accordion, violin, maracas, bass, and drums�to paint a panorama of a rediscovered, powerful musical tradition on the ascendance. This album won a 2009 Independent Music Award and Fan Voted Independent Music Award for Best Latin Album. 55 minutes, 14 tracks, 44-page booklet with extensive bilingual notes and photographs.