Based in the “joropo tuyero,” El Tuyero Ilustrado was formed by cuatro player Edward Ramirez and songwriter Rafa Pino.

This unique project combines the joropo from the central region of Venezuela and uses the “cuatro” as a main instrument, rather than the more traditional harp, alongside the vocals and “maracas” which forms the base of their music.

Their music has been an addition to the contemporary Venezuelan songbook by incorporating lyrics with current issues and of universal subjects.

These musicians share the universal potential of this form of joropo from Venezuela, comparing it to the “son” from Cuba, the “merengue” from Dominican Republic or the “samba” from Brasil.

Part of the Extended Play series:
World Music Wednesday - Extended Play is a series of free concerts curated by the Old Town School of Folk Music and funded by the Chicago Community Trust. Extended Play presents high calibre world music artists at three venues across the city; The Old Town School of Folk Music, the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, and the DuSable Museum of African American History. Artists are selected in close consultation with partner venues to ensure that they reflect the programming objectives and mission of all institutions. Artists will perform for three consecutive days in these venues in an effort to make the significant cultural programming at the Old Town School of Folk Music available to other institutions and communities on the South and West sides of Chicago. Extended Play will present three artists at all three venues in 2017.

http://www.eltuyeroilustrado.com/