@Answers.com : Reynaldo Armas is one of Venezuela's most successful musicians. Best-known for his interpretation of romantic ballads, Armas has sold more than six million copies of his recordings since 1975.

@Mapxl.com : Perhaps one most typical rural form of music prevalent in Venezuela is Joropo. Joropo is supposedly originated from the llanos or you can say from the plains. Joropo is a very famous form of music in Venezuela which is actually resembles another form called Waltz. The accompanying dance has African and European influence.

@EzineArticles.com : : The national musical instrument of Venezuela is the "cuatro." Ilanero is a typical Venezuelan music. It originated in the plains or 'ilanos' of the country and was made popular by many musical artists, including Juan Vicente Torrealba and Ignacio Figueredo.

@Simón Díaz : Simón Díaz is known foremost for his recovery of the songs of the Venezuelan plains. He was convinced that these were a unique music and he devoted himself to studying, composing and disseminating them.

@The Insider : The National System of Youth and Children's Orchestras of Venezuela, known here simply as "The System," has nurtured a hotbed of young talent since its 1975 launch while providing free instruments and instruction to children from the country's poorest barrios.

@Amazon : Cheo Hurtado has become probably the best cuatro player in Venezuela, and he treats us with a wonderful string of songs from the plains (Llanos de Venezuela). The joropos and pasajes are full of intrincate accords which make your nuckles hurt if you only imagine how he performs them.

@ Latin American Folk Institute : : There are many who say that the furruco comes from the Canary Islands, but we say that the furruco actually originates from the Congo, but with the difference that the furruco in Congo is played with the hand on the inside, like the cuica in Brasil.

@Rambles.NET : Among Venezuelan music fans themselves, the highest praise is often reserved for Un Solo Pueblo, a veteran band that has explored all aspects of the country's music, with musical influences from all over the Hispanic Caribbean. This testimony long had me intrigued. After scouring record stores and the Internet for years, I finally discovered this collection on Amazon.com and was well rewarded.

to be continued… probably