The very first venezuelan music recordings

Parishara dance near the Roraima tepuy (1917)

Source: Miradas alemanas hacia America Latina

Many years ago I started a quest to find the first venezuelan recordings... Books written by Napoleon Bravo, Edgardo Anzola and others mistakenly name Alfredo Sadel (1948) or Lorenzo Herrera (1926). The magic of internet allowed us to trace some recordings made by Theodor Koch-Grunberg when he explored the Amazonia several times between 1903 and 1913. Ethnolusicologist Max Brandt dates the venezuelan recordings around 1906. However these are indigenous chants, not really music - listen to a sample of Koch recordings:

 Teresa Carreño recording for the Duo-Art, New York, 1914

Source: Duo-Art pianola system

Then, in 1914, one of the greatest pianists of all times, Teresa Carreño recorded several classical pieces for the Duo-Art pianola system. Amazon.com has a CD with some of those recordings, available here. That same year, the very first popular venezuelan music was recorded in Trinidad. Funny, uh? La Orquesta Venezolana de "Chargo" recorded 9 instrumental compositions, all venezuelan waltzes:

Copai

Niña de Puerto España

La adriana

San José

Adiós Opato

Rey de los oros

El obsequio

Caracas alegre

La perla

These will not be the only venezuelan records made in Trinidad, many beautiful melodies will follow from Trinidadian composers. Why? There could be many answers, but it seems that venezuelan waltzes were very popular in the neighboring island. For more information, visit the Victor Encyclopedic Discography.
Until the next post, about the first recordings made in Venezuelan soil.