Venezuela

Culture

The Venezuelan culture comes from a wide variety of heritages, mainly of the indigenous populations, Spanish and African provenance, dating from the Colony. Before this period, indigenous cultural manifestations were expressed in art (petroglyphs), crafts, architecture (shabonos) and social organization. Aboriginal culture was subsequently assimilated by Spaniards; over the years, the hybrid culture had diversificated by region.

Related Topics:
Indigenous populations - Spanish - African - Colony - Petroglyph - Craft - Shabono - Spaniards

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Venezuelan art is gaining attention within and outside the country. Firstly dominated by religious motives, in the late 19th century changed to historical and heroic representations, led by Martín Tovar y Tovar. Modernism took over in the 20th century. Some very remarkable Venezuelan artists include Arturo Michelena, Cristóbal Rojas, Armando Reverón, Jesús-Rafael Soto, Carlos Cruz-Diez (both who contributed greatly to the kinetic art), and Manuel Cabré.

Related Topics:
Venezuelan art - 19th century - Martín Tovar y Tovar - 20th century - Arturo Michelena - Cristóbal Rojas - Armando Reverón - Jesús-Rafael Soto - Carlos Cruz-Diez - Kinetic art - Manuel Cabré

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Venezuelan literature began developing soon after Spanish conquest, and it was dominated by Spanish culture and thinking. Following the rise of political literature during the Independence War, was the Romanticism, the first important genre in the region, whose great exponent was Juan Vicente González. Altough mainly focused on narrative, poets figure with great importance, being Andrés Eloy Blanco the most famous of them, aside Fermín Toro. Major writers and novelists are Rómulo Gallegos, Teresa de la Parra, Arturo Uslar Pietri, Adriano González León, Miguel Otero Silva and Mariano Picón Salas. Another great poet and humanist was Andrés Bello, besides being and educator and a intellectual.

Related Topics:
Venezuelan literature - Spanish conquest - Spanish culture - Independence War - Romanticism - Juan Vicente González - Narrative - Andrés Eloy Blanco - Fermín Toro - Rómulo Gallegos - Teresa de la Parra - Arturo Uslar Pietri - Adriano González León - Miguel Otero Silva - Mariano Picón Salas - Andrés Bello

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Other philosophers and intellectuals, like Laureano Vallenilla Lanz and José Gil Fortoul, along with many other writers, sustained the theory of the Venezuelan positivism.

Related Topics:
Laureano Vallenilla Lanz - José Gil Fortoul - Venezuelan positivism

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The great architect of the Venezuelan Modern era was Carlos Raúl Villanueva, who designed and built the Universidad Central de Venezuela and its Aula Magna. Venezuelan architecture examples are the National Pantheon, the Baralt Theatre, the Teatro Teresa Carreño,and the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge.

Related Topics:
Carlos Raúl Villanueva - Universidad Central de Venezuela - Aula Magna - National Pantheon - Baralt Theatre - Teatro Teresa Carreño - General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge

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Autoctonal music styles are sort of a crisol of the Venezuelan cultural inheritages, most noted in groups like Un Solo Pueblo and Serenata Guayanesa. The national musical instrument is the cuatro. The national songs are mainly from the llanos area and its environment, so is the case of the Alma Llanera and Caballo Viejo by Simón Díaz. The gaitas is also a popular style, played generally on Christmas, typical of Zulia State. The national dance is the joropo.

Related Topics:
Un Solo Pueblo - Serenata Guayanesa - Cuatro - Llanos - Alma Llanera - Caballo Viejo - Simón Díaz - Gaita - Zulia State - Joropo

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Teresa Carreño was a world famous piano virtuosa during late 19th century.

Related Topics:
Teresa Carreño - Virtuosa - 19th century

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Venezuela is also a reference for their world famous baseball players, such as Luis Aparicio, David Concepción, Oswaldo Guillén, Andrés Galarraga, Omar Vizquel, Luis Sojo, and Johan Santana, winner of the Cy Young Award in 2004. Although baseball is tremendously popular, football (soccer) is also gaining popularity, due to the increasing performance of the Venezuela national football team.

Related Topics:
Luis Aparicio - David Concepción - Oswaldo Guillén - Andrés Galarraga - Omar Vizquel - Luis Sojo - Johan Santana - Cy Young Award - 2004 - Baseball - Football - Venezuela national football team

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• Music of Venezuela
• Cuisine of Venezuela

Holidays

Personalities

• List of Venezuelans
• List of players from Venezuela in Major League Baseball