Venezuela's Identity

     I want to share what makes unique and distinguish my native country, my beloved Venezuela. I understand there are different perceptions among my peers about what we consider makes beautiful our country, however,  in my opinion the following songs may make a consensus among us about the Venezuela's identity.
 
     First, let me explain you the meaning of Venezuela. This name comes from “The Little Venice”.  According to the history,  during one of the trips of Alonso de Ojeda and Americo Vespucio in 1499 across the northern shores of South America, they landed in the Gulf of Venezuela and they founded some native towns in which they houses were built over wooden pilots projected from the water, the palafitos, from the Spanish word. To Vespucio, this kind of houses resembled to those found in Venice Italy, and therefore,  Vespucio named that placed “The Little Venice” and later,  this term was used all across the country.  Probably, the popularity of this name in Europe was as a consequence of the Welsers business house, whom made several explorations to this country. The name “Klein Venice” appears in several documents and historical maps as a translation to the German of Venezuela.  Ricardo Montaner, one of the most famous singer from Venezuela, composed a modern song titled “The Little Venice” a deep inspiring description of Venezuela. A video of this song can be found here:
 




     Looking deeper in the Venezuelan culture, there is another song composed to Venezuela named “The Venezuelan Song”. This one represents the third emblematic song of my country and I could say that this song, or maybe this poem, make vibrates every Venezuelan whenever we listen to it. On it, it describes the beauty of Venezuela, its landscapes, its beaches, and its personality.


Venezuelan Song

English Translation
 
I carry your light and your aroma in my skin
and the cuatro in my heart,
I carry in my blood the foam of the sea
and your horizon in my eyes...
I envy not the flight nor the nest to the troupial,
I am like the wind in the grain
I feel the Caribbean like [it was] a woman
I am like this, what I am going to do
I am desert, jungle, snow, and volcano
and where I go I leave in my wake
the rumor of the plains in a song
that unravels me...
The woman that I want has to be
[of] heart, fire, and spur
with her skin tanned like a flower
of Venezuela...
With your landscape and my dreams I will go
through those worlds of God
and your memories in the twilight
will shorten my journey...
My childhood was left in your beaches
laid out in the wind and sun
and that nostalgia which rises up to my voice
without wanting to, became song...
From the mountains I want their immensity
and from the river its colors
and from you the children who will sow
new stars...
And if one day I must be shipwrecked
and the typhoon breaks my sails
bury my body near the sea
in Venezuela


      "Alma Llanera" is the country's second national anthem, a song that pays homage to the wide open plains of the Llanos and the importance of "musica llanera" to Venezuela's cultural identity.  Different singer such as Julio Iglesias and Placido Domingo had performed this song. In the following video, Simon Diaz, the most notorious folk singer and composer performs “Alma Llanera”