 Even though its real meaning is related to a wind musical instrument, in Venezuela the word gaita meets its best synonyms in party, December, joy and dance. May it be used as a means of protest, denounce, religion or love, the gaita will always be for Venezuelan people the best definition of a contagious and popular rhythm.
We find its origin in the fusion of the pagan songs that were interpreted by the European colonizers as they passed by these lands. According to Francisco Arrieta in his book Las Gaitas del Zulia, priests used to teach religious songs to carousers who went around the streets, which in combination with the pagan music caused some modifications in the musical-literary structure of the original gaita.
Its arrival to Zulia is not very clear yet. However, some specialists, such as Alfonso Huerta Bracho, dare to say that it was born in the hot Zulia land. To this gaita player and composer, the gaita appeared on December 12, 1782, in Gibraltar Canton in Zulia State (known today as Bobures), as a black slaves’ protest song because of the maltreatment they had from their Spanish masters.
Just as Ramón Herrera tells it on the radio micro-programs La Historia de la Gaita, the first gaita stanza was written by a black man named Simon Chourio and his sister Maria Dolores who complained of the strong hitting that they suffered with the following words:
“Ya esto no puede ser como nos tratan los amos y si se lo reclamamos nos hacen más padecer”.
This quartet seems to express that those who support the thesis according to which the gaita has black roots. Nevertheless, there are strong versions about a Spanish origin and even an indigenous one that makes us think that the Venezuelan gaita is a fusion of the three races that exist in the country.
Due to its antiquity –over three centuries of poly-rythmia- the gaita has suffered big transformations in its original conception, to the point that researchers nowadays distinguish four variants of this popular rhythm: gaita de furro, also known as gaita maracucha or maracaibera which is played since November 17 (eve of La Chinita Day) until February 2 when the traditional “ subida de furro ” is done; la gaita perijanera, whose strongest inspiration source is Saint Benedict, in opposition to the former, in which the furro or mandullo prevails, this gaita’s rhythm excels because of the bass drum, the gaita to Santa Lucía, through which tribute is rendered to the patron of Santa Lucia parish in Maracaibo. This popular expression is sung in a novena way to thank the favors given to her devotes. And, finally, the gaita de tambora, whose essence is closely related to the festivity and the carousal spirit that characterize Zulian people.
Even though each one of these types are different because of the instruments, the literary structure, the inspiration essence and even the playing dates, it is doubtless that as a musical expression , the gaita is the flag of the Venezuelan’s happy traditions.
THE BEST EXPONENTS
Talking about gaita is to remember legendary pieces composed by Heriberto Molina, Lenín Pulgar, Nelson Romero, Renato Aguirre and Rafael Rincón González, among others, who once became musical hits thanks to interpretation made by Jesús Lozano, Ricardo Aguirre, Ricardo Cepeda, Astolfo Romero,
Abdénago Bodas (Neguito), Barrio Obrero de Cabimas and Rincón Morales.
From January to August 2001 over one hundred and forty pirate copies were confiscated by the metropolitan police. The devices organized by the Author’s Right department in this security organization have resulted in the confiscation of pirate merchandise not only on the streets, but also in established commercial places .
"Our frontal fight against pirate business people has made us confiscate, only this year, over one hundred and forty illegal supports including compact discs, video games and VHS movies”. This was reported by general commissioner Orlando Gutierrez, former Metropolitan Police Investigations director, who explained to Notas that the confiscated merchandise is destroyed in the presence of a Public Ministry representative, of the mass media communication means and of witnesses who attest the procedure transparency.
As he said, operations are directed by the Metropolitan Police Author’s Right Department headed by inspector Edgar Tillero who, together with two officials, works very hard to fight this scourge that attempts against the national phonographic industry stability, among other sectors. When he was asked about the factors that have influenced in the piracy growth, the Metropolitan Police representative said that one of the causes is the country’s situation. “Many unemployed people find in the sale of pirate merchandise an alternative to their economic problems”, he said.
Another reason that, in his opinion, has had great influence on this illegal activity is the lightness of the punishments that the Author’s Right Law establishes for those who commit this crime (punishments from eighteen months to four years of prison). In relation to this he remarks that “there is so much arbitrarity on this subject that, sometimes, the people involved in this business get a favorable verdict in court, according to which the police must give them back the confiscated electronic equipment – this is burners, computers and printers”.
According to the words said by the new Citizen Participation Direction of the Metropolitan Police Boss, the piracy growth has become a culture problem. “Most of Venezuelans do not understand that this affects the country, they do not evaluate the big loses that the big enterprises dedicated to the legal activity suffer and they do not believe that fighting against piracy will contribute to the recovery of an important sector that takes part in the domestic economic reactivation".
Commissioner Gutiérrez remarked that there is still a lot to do, but the human, physic and economic resources lack does not allow them to develop more offensive actions against the big Mafia that operates in this business. “We have attacked the street vendor and the intermediary and, even if we have given hard strokes, our procedures have not been able to get to this crime actual responsible people". |
Editorial
