Melody Gaita consolidates its reign of vacilón
Published on: Nov 7, 2024
By: Carlos Camargo
The idea of distinguishing themselves in the market came to Álvaro Durán and Luis Izquierdo forty years ago. In 1984, two friends, “Cuchillo” on vocals and “Chupeta” on drums, decided to
give it shape. This is how Melody Gaita was born, a group from the capital that dared to take the first step in interpreting the genre known as “The queen of Venezuelan folklore.”
Its directors, for four decades, have shared the flavors and disappointments of the musical environment.
However, they have had an uninterrupted career that has led the group to consolidate itself as one of the most important in Caracas. Using humor, but without compromising the interpretive quality.
Without the intention of competing with the established groups in Zulia, the cradle of gaita; Melody has not gone unnoticed in these years. Songs like “El caballito frenao”, “La gata blanca” and
“El perro” put them, in their first decade, at the center of controversy. Something that was evolving over time, but without leaving aside their talisman: animals.
This is how, in addition to those mentioned, others like “Ahí viene la liebre”, “La gallina vieja”, “La culebra” (in homage to the popular “negro” from WhatsApp) and “Pajarito vola” -their signature song- have brightened the Christmases of thousands of people.
Regarding this, Durán and Izquierdo agreed in stating that they have always felt an affinity for them. “In fact, our image, our logo, is a frog. Where you see the frog with the furry, everyone knows that Melody Gaita is going to enter. Animals have always brought us a lot of luck,” they commented. Melody in search of originality
And it was, precisely, after adopting the character as her image that the name arose. “It was the radio man Charles Arapé who suggested that I put on something that did not sound
traditional. Which does not mean that we do not play songs about the Virgin of La Chinita; or that are typical of Christmas. But we always wanted to stand out from what was there. That is why we integrate humor into our lyrics and performances.”
That led them to adopt the “show” in their presentations. Thousands of laughs have been achieved by their audience over these 40 years. When they come out dressed as the characters of Village People, Las chicas del Can, Las payasitas ni cu ni ca or those of El Chavo; “people discover another way of listening to and enjoying the gaita.” So they became “The kings of vacilón.”
Led by this initiative, Melody Gaita became the first group in its style in the capital market. “Our idea was to come out with something different. With musical quality, but that would give something more to the public. I studied the market and realized that there was no one
who integrated humor into their staging,” said Durán.
They have been awarded the main musical prizes in the country. From the Ronda, to the
Mara de Oro, passing through the Venus of the press and other recognitions. In addition to having in their
reputation being the first gaita group to make a video clip, with the song “Ahí viene la liebre”. Likewise, they performed consecutively in the remembered “Gaitazos del Oso”, in the Poliedro; and other public meetings throughout the country.
And what is coming is a party
Currently, 22 people make up the group; with the pianist Jesús Uzcátegui as musical director. These four decades will be celebrated with continuous performances, until December 31, 2024, in different Caracas venues. On Thursdays they are at Lee Hamilton; on Fridays at Picanha and Cinecittá; in addition to some massive events.
The first confirmed event with Melody Gaita on the bill will be on December 20th on the terrace of the Tamanaco Commercial City Center. It is “El gaitazo espumoso”, where they will share with Betulio Medina and his Maracaibo 15, Rincón Morales, Gaiteros de Pillopo, Los caraqueños and Aditus.
Likewise, they will soon release the song to commemorate these four decades. “It will be with an animal, without a doubt,” they said.
To follow their steps, you can visit their social networks as @melodygaita and @alvarocuchillo1.
Carlos Camargo is a Venezuelan journalist with 40 years of experience. He specializes in Entertainment and Lifestyle. He is the author of the book “Feliz y Sin Ataduras”, among others.