Los Parranderos 2009
What we do…
We sing “Aguinaldos” and “Gaitas” (Venezuelan Christmas Carols).
Aguinaldos began as a derived form of the Spanish “Villancicos”, with lyrics and music adapted to the customs and daily life of each Venezuelan region. Gaitas were born of the need of the people from Zulia State, in Venezuela.
Aguinaldos and Gaitas are usually accompanied by “cuatro” (four-stringed guitar), “tambor” (drum), “chapero” (an improvised tambourine), “furro” or “furruco” (a single note, friction bass), amongst other instruments.
Los Parranderos
This term is close in meaning to the expression “The Party Goers” and refers to happiness, life and good disposition to enjoy life.
The group consists of over 20 active participants and is under the direction of Maria Luces, who assumed that role due to her participation in several choirs back in Venezuela for over 18 years. Maria’s dedication and patience has resulted in a collective musical effort, shaping this group of amateur musicians.
The group starts its yearly performances in November and continues all through the Christmas season, having shows in Granville Island, Grouse Mountain, schools, churches, restaurants, senior houses, and malls around the Greater Vancouver area.
As an additional note of interest, members of Los Parranderos felt the need to expand its repertoire outside of the Christmas themes and to include music from the rest of Latin America as well. The idea gave birth to FUSION LATINA, Vancouver’s Latin American Choir, which got created with a wider goal of promoting music from all over the Latin America region.