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Marco Granados and Un Mundo
Ensemble perform music from their homeland, Venezuela.
Venezuelan music is characterized by fast melodies, complex
syncopated rhythms, and jazzy harmonies that blend the
traditions of African, European and native cultures with sense
of sophistication that is truly unique. A lot of Un Mundo’s
arrangements are virtuosic, giving the performers the
opportunity to display mastery of their instruments. The
different styles performed by the ensemble represent the typical
forms most commonly enjoyed by the Venezuelan listener. These
styles include: the Joropo, the Merengue, the Tonada, the Gaita,
and the Valse (or Waltz).
JOROPO: A dance form from
the plains of Venezuela and Colombia, this is a lively couples
dance in which the man, wearing a hat (sombrero) and holding his
hands behind his back, stomps his feet rhythmically as he dances
around his partner. The woman is dressed in a very colorful
skirt which she waves as her partner dances around her.
MERENGUE: Originally a
dance, this is mostly used as an instrumental piece because of
its complicated 5/8 beat.
TONADA: Also from the
plains of Venezuela, the tonada is a descendant of the shepherd
songs of Spain. It is sung by the cowboy, who tells his woes to
the cow as he gently milks her. Tonadas are generally solo songs
often performed outdoors.
GAITA: A dance form typical
of the region of Zulia, Venezuela. This is one that is generally
associated with the happy spirit of Christmas. It features the
use of several unusual drums in a strong beat.
VALSE: The Venezuelan Waltz
is a direct descendant of its European ancestor with the
exception of the syncopated rhythms often used in the melodic
structure. A lot of Venezuelan Waltzes are reminiscent of the
colonial period in Venezuela.
ENSEMBLE MEMBERS:
 Jorge
Glem, Venezuelan Cuatro
- Jorge Glem is now one of the most sought-after cuatro soloists
in Venezuela, due to his incredible virtuosity, imaginative
musicality and the complex polyrhythmic patterns he creates with
his instrument. He was born in Cumana, Venezuela, and began to
play the cuatro at a very young age - and already at 24, he is
the winner of numerous competitions and awards both in Venezuela
and abroad. In 2005 he won 1st prize in the Siembra del Cuatro
International Festival Competition, and in 2004 he won the "Best
Cuatro" and "Best Ensemble" at the Silbon de Oro International
Festival, a competition celebrating the music of the plains of
both Venezuela and Colombia. Since then he has played with many
groups and soloists, including Schola Cantorum of Caracas,
Rajatabla Theater Ensemble, the National Flute Orchestra of
Venezuela, the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, the Venezuelan
Symphony Orchestra, Lilia Vera, Carlos Jorgez, Claudio Nazoa,
Luis Quintero, Corina Peña, Alirio Díaz, Eugenia Méndez, Ruperto
“Tico” Páez, Lucila Becerra, Toñito Naranjo, Marco Granados,
Jesús Rengel, Alberto Requena, Jaime Martínez, Aquiles Báez,
Gurrufío Ensemble, Maria Rodríguez, El Cuarteto, Hernán Marín,
Tierra de Gracia, 21 de Noviembre, Serenata Guayanesa, Rafael
“Pollo” Brito, Cheo Hurtado and Rosa Virginia Chacín, among
others. He is a member of the following ensembles: Percussion
Ensemble "Atalaya," Saul Vera Ensemble, National Radio of
Venezuela Ensemble, C4 Trío, “Cuerdas Bajo Presión” Ensemble and
Antología Criolla. He has represented Venezuela in international
music festivals in Guatemala, Colombia and Germany and is the
first cuatro player to have had the honor of performing in the
prestigious Kammermusikal of the Berlin Philharmonic theater,
The Philarmonie.
Mr. Glem is currently Cuatro
professor at the music Conservatory of the Simon Bolivar
Orchestra and is finishing his musical studies at the Instituto
Universitario de Estudios Musicales (IUDEM) in Caracas. He has
recorded on numerous albums, among them C4 Trio, Encayapa
Ensemble, Gurrufio Ensemble, Marco Granados and his first solo
CD Cuatro Sentido.
 Leonardo
Granados, Maracas - Leonardo
Granados was born in San Cristóbal, in the Venezuelan Andes
mountains, and studied music at the Pedro Antonio Ríos Reina
School of Music, founded by his father. He belongs to a
distinguished musical family, where his father is a violinist
and his brothers are both well known wind players. Mr. Granados
is well known as a virtuoso on the Venezuelan maracas. He has
accompanied artists such as Simon Diaz, Edward Simon and
Venezuelan guitarist Daniel Rodriguez. As a singer he has shared
stage with such groups as Un Mundo Ensemble, Bliss Jazz
Ensemble, Edward Simon’s Venezuelan project and David Oquendo’s
Latin Jazz band among others. He was a member of the 2004 Award
Winner off-off Broadway production of Tiempo de Tango where he
was one of the lead singers. He has been a student of tango
repertoire and interpretation with Pablo Zinger for several
years. Besides his work in the arts, Mr. Granados is a
pharmacist and a microbiologist working in the field of
biotechnology sales and marketing.
 Roberto
Koch, Double Bass
- Roberto Koch, born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1974, is one of
the country's most versatile bassists. His interests range from
Venezuelan folkloric and traditional music, to salsa, jazz,
Flamenco and Latin American music. At age 6 he began his musical
studies on the violin, later including the piano and finally the
acoustic bass. In 2003, he graduated with a Masters Degree in
Double Bass from the Lino Gallardo School of Music. His keen
interest in diverse musical styles was augmented by his studies
as an anthropologist at the Universidad Central de Venezuela,
where he is currently doing research on Venezuelan colonial
music. His traditional music career began as the bassist for
Grupo Onkora, where he had the opportunity to share the stage
with artists like Chick Corea and Gary Burton in 1996. After
recording Con El Tiempo in Germany with the group, he then
traveled to Argentina with singer Cecilia Todd, appearing on her
brilliant CD, Canciones de Henry Martinez.
He has accompanied international singers like Argentina's Marta
Serra Lima and Mexico's David Haro. In Venezuela's Latin Jazz
scene, Mr. Koch has recorded and performed with Aquiles Báez (Reflejando
El Dorao); Pablo Gil (Major Delights); and Bernardo Padrón (Sea
Dance); not to mention working with such greats as Alfredo
Naranjo, Orlando Poleo, Nené Quintero, Roberto Girón, Junior
Romero, Laurent Lécuyer, Joel Pibo Márquez and the exceptional
drummer Andrés Briceño, with whom he traveled to Puerto Rico for
the IX International Festival de la Percusión. In addition to
these vast credits, Mr. Koch recently played in the groups of
guitarist Steve Khan and pianists Luis Perdomo and Mario Canonge.
For Roberto Koch the future looks bright and is only filled with
the most wonderful of possibilities.
 Francisco
Flores, Trumpet - Francisco Flores was born in
1981 in the city of San Cristóbal, Venezuela. He began trumpet
studies with his father when he was 8 years old. After showing
much promise, he moved to Caracas where he began trumpet studies
with Eduardo Manzanilla at the Instituto Universitario de
Estudios Musicales. Later he moved to France, where in 2005 he
received the Soloists Diploma from the Conservatoire National de
Region de la Ville de Rueil-Malmaison under the tutelage of the
trumpet Master Eric Aubier. Upon graduation he won the
“Virtuosity Prize” by the unanimous vote of the Jury.
Mr. Flores has been a member of
the major concert bands of his home state in Tachira as well as
the leading symphony orchestras of Venezuela. He is now
Principal Trumpet of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, with
which he has had the opportunity to play in international
Festivals in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, United States, Italy,
Germany, Austria and Spain.
Mr. Flores has studied and taken
master classes in Europe, the United States and Latin America
and studied with such teachers as Jairo Hernández, Ramiro
Ramírez, Alfredo D'Addona, Vladimir Kafelnikof, Jean Francois Dion, Niklas Eklund, Claudio Roditti, Gustavo Bergali, Laurent
Malet, Gillaume Couloumy, Pierre Thibaud, Marcel Lagorce, Frank
Pulcini, Eric Aubier, Jouko Harjanne, Reinhold Friedrich, Dr.
Gilbert Jonson and Rolf Smedvig.
He is a founding member of the
Simón Bolívar Brass Quintet with which he has toured in Perú,
Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay, Argentina, United States,
Italy, Germany, Portugal, Spain and France, as well as in many
cities throughout Venezuela. In 2003 the Quintet received the
Medal of Honor from the city of Saint Yrieix – Limoges at the
International Brass Festival organized by the Epsilon Ensemble
in France. That same year, the quintet was a finalist at the
Phillip Jones International Competition in the City of
Guebwiller, France. In 2004 the Quintet returned to Valencia,
Spain to participate at the Spanish Brass Alzira 2004
International Festival.
Mr. Flores’ career as a soloist
started in Venezuela where he has had the opportunity to play
with all of the major Venezuelan Concert bands and Symphony
Orchestras. Internationally he has soloed with the Venezuelan
National Youth Orchestra in Venice, Italy, with solo recitals in
Spain and France. He has had the unique distinction of being the
first Latin American trumpet player to have won the most
prestigious trumpet competitions of Europe, including 3rd prize
at the 2005 International Trumpet Competition of the city of
Pilisvörösvár in Hungary; 1st Prize at the 2005 Phillip Jones
International Trumpet Competition in the city of Buebwiller,
France; 1st Prize at the 2006 International Trumpet Competition
of the city of Paris “Maurice Andrè,” plus Special Prize for the
best interpretation of the Commissioned Work for the Competition
by Salvador Chulia Hernandez; and 1st Prize at the 2006
International Trumpet Competition “Citta De Porcia” in Italy.
Mr. Flores continues to attend the
master classes of the trumpet masters Juan José Serna and Carlos
Benetó of the Spanish Brass Academy as well as with Eric Aubier
and Franck Pulcini. As a pedagogue, he teaches trumpet at the
Andean Conservatory in Tachira, Venezuela as well as being
Founding Teacher of the National Trumpet Academy in Caracas. In
2007 he will tour and teach master classes in France, Spain,
Italy, Taiwan, New York and Chicago, among others.
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