Music & Dance Workshop
Afro-Venezuelan Dances: Parranda, Culo e' puya & Tambor de San Millán
Wednesday, Sep 6 @ 6:30pm, 2023
The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi
Past Event
Be immersed in the music and dance of the diverse regions and traditions of Afro-Venezuelan culture.
In this music and dance workshop, Betsayda Machado and La Parranda El Clavo lead participants through multiple musical genres and dances, including parranda, Culo e’puya, and Tambor de San Millán. Band members share stories and insights while teaching the basic steps and illustrating the cultural significance of each dance. The workshop offers a dynamic and immersive experience for participants to learn about the rich heritage of Afro-Venezuelan music and dance.
Biography
Betsayda Machado
Betsayda Machado is a prodigious Afro-Venezuelan folk music singer. Raised in the small village of El Clavo in the region of Barlovento, her rural recordings with lifelong friend Parranda El Clavo brought new attention to the Venezuelan Afro-Soul genre: ‘Tambor’. A spirit-shaking percussion and voice fiesta, said to make dancers float.
After her North American debut in 2017, New York Times’ Jon Parelles called Betsayda and Parranda “The kind of group that world-music fans have always been thrilled to discover: vital, accomplished, local, unplugged, deeply rooted”.
La Parranda El Clavo is the local caroling ensemble of El Clavo. For over thirty years they have been playing together during town festivities, funerals, new year celebrations and get-togethers inspired by local anecdotes and stories of belonging. Singer Betsayda Machado started her career singing with them in the late 1980’s. Betsayda and Parranda have toured extensively throughout North America and Europe.