For a bit of fun, consider this riddle: what do a sociologist, a civil engineer, a dentist, a cuatro player, and a pediatrician have in common? At first glance, the answer is: music, although it's quite simplistic in the case at hand.
Because Mauricio Castro, Iván Pérez Rossi, César Pérez Rossi, Hernán Gamboa first and Miguel Ángel Bosh later, have built an invaluable legacy that encompasses the four cardinal points of Venezuelan folklore, through a group, with gem-like characteristics, that should be written in golden letters: Serenata Guayanesa.
And although their 55th anniversary celebration comes amidst a period of inactivity for the quartet, their merits remain undeniable, timeless, embodied in 40 albums born from a desire to nurture and cultivate a love for the diverse musical expressions found throughout the country. Furthermore, half a dozen compilation recordings further solidify their accomplishments.
Like the album
The story began with four friends who shared a passion for music. Alongside their university studies, brothers Iván and César Pérez Rossi, Mauricio Castro, and Hernán Gamboa would frequently meet to play and sing in some corner of Ciudad Bolívar.
An initiative by the governor of the southern state ignited the flame. Architect Manolo Garrido, who had listened to them privately, proposed that they participate in the first edition of the Zapoara Fair.
The concert took place on August 13, 1971. From it arose another proposal: to record an album featuring songs from the region, to bring them closer to the public. After the research process that culminated in the selection of the repertoire, they entered the studio to shape the material, which was christened with the name of Guyanese Serenade.
The quartet adopted it as their trademark during their first appearance on the Venezuelan Television Network (the predecessor of the current VTV). The host asked them what they called themselves, and they replied that it was the same as the record.
The stroke of luck came the following year, when the song Toad Alejandro Vargas's song achieved great success, thanks to media support.
With the support of various public entities, they began traveling abroad. Their first destination was Colombia. They were followed by trips to the United States, Mexico, Panama, England, France, Italy, Spain, and Jamaica, where they participated in festivals and activities organized by embassies. In the early 80s, they visited Chile and Argentina.
Amidst the quartet's commitments, Hernán Gamboa found time to record his first solo album. Initially, there were no problems, but disagreements arose later. The cuatro player then decided to leave. In 1984, Miguel Ángel Bosch joined the group.
Decree
Hernán Gamboa recorded a dozen albums with Serenata Guayanesa and, in his solo career, completed 25 albums, which established him as a virtuoso cuatro player.
Meanwhile, the quartet continued its mission of researching and promoting Venezuelan music. In addition to Toad -their first hit- are very familiar to the public: Breed pigeon, The boy Don Simón, Calypso of Callao, The mule, At one o'clock, Run horse, Beat and refrain y The flea and the louse.
In the Official Gazette of November 21, 2011, the decree signed by President Hugo Chávez was published, in which the quartet is declared Cultural Heritage.
