Left to right: Miguel is wearing his own clothes.Graimer wears his own Joropod dress
Joropo is a genre of music and dance practiced in the steppes of Colombia and Venezuela. Folk music forms a central part of local culture, setting both the rhythm of everyday life and the tune of celebrations.
Silvana Trevale is a Venezuelan photographer based in London. Fusing her documentary and fashion, her work seeks to celebrate the human body and the world around her. This project Atmos Magazine Vol. 8: Rhythm, took her back to the Venezuelan plains, where her family came from. She went on to record Joropo, a genre of music that draws inspiration directly from nature. The name of this music, called “la musica llanera”, comes from the word “llano”, which means plain in Spanish. Travar said the environment was inviting. She witnessed the most beautiful sunrise of her life and experienced her music at every turn. Through her photography, she hopes to convey the enjoyment of her own country and culture.
Traditionally, and to this day, Llano work songs are sung to calm the cows during milking in the early morning darkness. The songs are rarely written down or recorded. Rather, they are passed down orally from generation to generation. (From left: Luis Samar wears a dress by No Pisée La Grama, Matthias wears plain clothes)
Left to right: Ms. Graimer is wearing her Joropod dress. Miguel wears his own clothes. Gracia wears an outfit from her stylist Joropo. The model is wearing a Yenny Bastida top and skirt. Juan wears her own clothes. Ms. Josmari is wearing her own Joropod dress. Ms. Guayacan wears her own suit and hat. Freddie wears Puerta her Negra shirt and his pants. Rubén Barrios wears MA Espinoza suit. Matthias wears his own clothes. Louis Samar wears a no pice la grama dress.
Folk singer Simon Diaz brought La Musica Llanera to the world. His one of the songs he performed, “Alma Llanera” (translated as “Soul of the Plains”), is considered Venezuela’s unofficial second national anthem. The song was composed by Venezuelan musicians Pedro Elias Gutierrez and Rafael Bolivar Coronado in his early 1900s. Another of his songs, “La Vaca Mariposa”, is an allegory of the Virgin Mary and the birth of Jesus Christ.
talent
Miguel Calero, Greymar Espinoza, John of God Castle, Josmari Mirabal, Greece Valentina Orlando Shu, Luisamar Esenia Hernandez Vina, Matthias Gale Castle Coin, Carmen Gregory Shu Hernandez, Janezi Gutierrez, Alex Manuel Orlando Shu, Miriam Rojas, Armando Medina, José Gregorio Fredri Guedes, Ruben Barrios, Luisa Marina Gonzalez Hernandez, Eleutherio Antonio Prido Aquino, Hossein Nazareth Garcia Ortega, Victor Blanco, Andres Seyjas, Miriam Rojas, Hashley Lucia Gonzalez Hernandez, Josmari Mirabal, Luisa Marina Gonzalez Hernandez, Greymar Spinoza, Lucrecia Bolivar
make up
Judith Padron
hair
Judith Padron
talent director
soleria franco
manufacturing
Sorelia Franco, Dana Chocron
prop maker
Victoria Maldonado
cultural consultant
Juan Vicente Carrillo-Batalla
photography assistant
Gustavo Vera Febres-Cordero
styling assistant
Victoria Maldonado
special thanks
Soreria Franco, Hato La Fe, Juan Vicente Carrillo, Guayacan Aura, Joropo al Son de la Alpargata School
This article first appeared in Atmos Volume 08: Rhythm under the heading “In Step”.
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