Contents
Origins of the group
In June 1971, the Bolivarian singers and musicians Mauricio Castro Rodríguez (countertenor and drums), Hernán Gamboa (tenor and cuatro player), Iván Pérez Rossi (baritone and second cuatro player) and César Pérez Rossi (bass and drums) who were already experienced in playing and singing in other musical groups, met to sing together informally with some friends at the house of the then-governor of Bolívar State, Manuel Guarrido. Mr. Guarrido asked them to make a recording of the music of the Guayana Region. They accepted and decided to record it with a Bolívar group led by the veteran musician and composer Carmito Gamboa (father of Hernán Gamboa), including players of the mandolin, violin, accordion and the Venezuelan cuatro (played by Hernán Gamboa), with the voices of the four young singers standing out. This LP was produced independently that August and called "Serenata Guayanesa" and it was released for the Zapoara Feria, celebrated in Ciudad Bolívar in 1971.
It seems that a copy of that LP arrived at the offices of the Caraqueño TV station "Cadena Venezolana de Televisión" (now VTV) and the four singers took part in a variety programme. When the presenter asked the name of the group, one of them answered that it was the same as the LP – until then none of the group had considered what the name should be.
In 2000, for the Expo 2000 in Hannover, Germany, they had one of their rare concerts outside South-America. In honor to the "Venezuelan Day", they sang with a German Childrens Cuatro Group. One of the Visitors was the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Discography
Serenata Guayanesa
Serenata Guayanesa
Serenata Guayanesa Vol. 1, first album of the group
Serenata Guayanesa Vol. 1, first album of the group
First edition of Cantemos con los niños
First edition of Cantemos con los niños
Una Amistad de 25 Años first live album of the group
Una Amistad de 25 Años first live album of the group
Wanting to boost their popularity in the Venezuelan capital, the four members of the new group obtained their first recording contract in 1972 with the company "Palacio de la Música" (Music Palace), which put their recordings out under the label "Decca-London" (although the group were not formally contracted to Decca). That year a record “Serenata Guayanesa” appeared, with a different content to their first recording. The numbers "El Sapo" and the aguinaldo "Casta Paloma" by the Bolivaran composer Alejandro Vargas appeared, as well as the first composition by Iván Pérez Rossi (integrante), the aguinaldo "¿Donde está San Nicolás?", which became a hit later. However, their real success began with the album "Serenata Guayanesa Volume 2" (1973), with the songs "Calypso del Callao" (composed by the "Sociedad de Amigos del Calypso de El Callao") and the classic Venezuelan Christmas number "Aguinaldo Criollo" (by the writer Isabel de Umérez and composer Luis Morales Bance), both great hits, as well as the llanero number "Fiesta en Elorza" by the Venezuelan musician, composer and singer Eneas Perdomo. In 1978 the group decided to record an album of Christmas music, which was not widely known across Venezuela. This album, entitled "Serenata Guayanesa Volume 5: Popular Venezuelan Aguinaldos " included the hits "Corre Caballito" (anonymous) and "El Furruquero" (Iván Pérez Rossi). On this album the group’s singers, together with the singers and drummers Mauricio Castro and César Pérez Rossi, played their own accompaniment on instruments like the chineco and the furruco (vinculados for Christmas music). In 1981 their contract with "Palacio de la Música" expired and they signed with the Organización Diego Cisneros Sonorodven, who brought out an album of their greatest hits, including one new number "Señor Gabán". That contract also expired quicly and they signed with Sonográfica. By this time the group was established as the biggest in Venezuelan popular music. They then hit upon the idea of making an album of music for children, called "Cantemos con los niños" (Let’s sing with the children), which included specially written songs, poems set to music and traditional folk songs. This album was again a great hit, even among adults, with the numbers "La Pulga y el Piojo" and "Este Niño Don Simón". It is interesting to note that one very sentimental song was called "En Mi Pueblo Había Un Río" (In my village there was a river), which told the story of a village in which the native plants and wildlife died out. In 1983 Sonográfica brought out a series of records in homage to the nationalist leader Simón Bolívar including two albums with songs and fragments of speeches by Bolívar himself. The actor Gustavo Rodríguez read the speeches and the music was recorded by Serenata Guayanesa with Hernán Gamboa (his first recordings as a solo artist) and the late internationally renowned artist Jesús Soto, for the first and only time recorded singing and playing the guitar. After that Hernán Gamboa went on to pursue a solo career, while the pediatrician, singer and cuatrista caraqueño Miguel Ángel Bosch joined the group. With Bosch, the group recorded in 1984 a second album of music for children ("Cantemos con los niños, volumen 2") less successful than the first. However, the group recorded a second navideno LP entitled "Viene la parranda", with other musicians, for example a guest appearance by the cuatro and violin player Gualberto Ibarreto. Two years later, for their fifteenth anniversary, the group brought out an album "Caribe Abajo" of Latin American music, some composed specially, some already known. In this album the group was supported by the musicians Rafael, Kenny and Carlos Arrieta (on the caja, guacharaca and accordion, respectively) for a performance of the number in vallenato style "Mis Peroles" (composed by Iván Pérez Rossi), and their first videoclip was recorded in a humorous style. In 1991, the group recorded their first CD entitled "Si la tierra, tierra fuera", promoted by a further video. They had a new hit from this album with the interpretation of the pasodoble "Caracas Mi Ciudad" with the trumpeter Jorge Montenegro and the drummer Antonio Cestari. Their stay with the Sonográfica label was ended with their first live album, recorded at a concert at the Teresa Carreño Theatre, celebrating their 25th anniversary. This double album entitled "Una Amistad de 25 Años" (A 25 Year Friendship) had contributions by well known Venezuelan artists such as María Teresa Chacín, Cheo Hurtado, Simón Díaz, Gualberto Ibarreto, Vidal Colmenares, Ismael Querales, and the gaita zuliana singers Ricardo Cepeda and Abdenago "Neguito" Borjas.
After this, Serenata Guayanesa began to produce their own recordings, reissuing their previous albums with Sonográfica CD format, including numbers recorded in past times with new compositions. in 2003 the CD "Cantemos Con Los Niños" (Let’s Sing with the Children) presents a revised edition of their first album of Venezuelan music for children, in 2005 Serenata Guayanesa made the album El Ferrocarril, with new compositions and new songs.
La boda del ratón Pérez
Serenata Guayanesa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Arreglando el comedor
Por debajo de la mesa (por debajo de la mesa)
Un centavo se encontró
Por debajo de la mesa (por debajo de la mesa)
Un centavo se encontró
Como era tanto dinero diez vestidos se compró
Y empezaron a llegarle pretendientes a montón
Y empezaron a llegarle pretendientes a montón
El grillo y el arrendajo entonaban su canción
Pero tan fuerte cantaban (pero tan fuerte cantaban)
Que la niña los corrio
Pero tan fuerte cantaban (pero tan fuerte cantaban)
Que la niña los corrio
El cocuyo alumbra mucho
El gusano un vividor
Y el congorocho es más flojo que Teresa y morrocoy
El cocuyo alumbra mucho
El gusano un vividor
Y el congorocho es más flojo que Teresa y morrocoy
Al fin llegó el ratón Pérez era muy trabajador
Y la linda cucaracha (y la linda cucaracha)
En sus brazos se rindió
Y la linda cucaracha (y la linda cucaracha)
En sus brazos se rindió
Después vino el matrimonio
Con champaña, queso y ron
Y en la olla del sancocho ratón Pérez se cayó
Después vino el matrimonio
Con champaña, queso y ron
Y en la olla del sancocho ratón Pérez se cayó
La cucaracha gritaba de la desesperación
Tan bonita y millonaria (tan bonita y millonaria)
La viudita se quedó
Tan bonita y millonaria (tan bonita y millonaria)
La viudita se quedó
No sabía que el ratón Pérez en el agua era un campeón
Y en estilo mariposa del sancocho se salió
No sabía que el ratón Pérez en el agua era un campeón
Y en estilo mariposa del sancocho se salió
Los dos vivieron felices disfrutando del amor
Colorín y Colorado este cuento se acabó
(Colorín y Colorado este cuento se acabo)
The song "La boda del ratón Pérez" is a playful and whimsical tune by Venezuelan ensemble Serenata Guayanesa. The lyrics are about a cockroach named Martinez who finds a penny under the table while tidying the dining room. With this windfall, she buys ten dresses and attracts many suitors. However, the noise from the singing crickets and jays is too loud, and she chases them away, but not before the mouse Perez comes and steals her heart. They get married with champagne, cheese, and rum, but during the celebration, Perez falls into the pot of stew. In despair, Martinez thinks she has become a rich widow, but to her surprise, Perez emerges from the pot unscathed, and they both live happily ever after.
The song's lyrics celebrate the simple joys of life, the whims of fate, and the unexpected twists that transform mundane situations into extraordinary adventures. The animal characters have human-like qualities, and their tales of love, rivalry, and survival resonate with universal emotions. The themes of the song are innocence, humor, and romance, and its tone is lighthearted, jovial, and upbeat. The instruments used in the song are typical of traditional Venezuelan music, such as the cuatro, mandolin, and maracas, and their melodies and rhythms evoke the popular dances of the llaneros and the joropo.
Line by Line Meaning
La cucaracha Martinez
La cucaracha Martinez estaba arreglando el comedor.
Por debajo de la mesa (por debajo de la mesa)
Se encontró un centavo debajo de la mesa (y fue tan emocionante que lo repitieron).
Como era tanto dinero diez vestidos se compró
Con su suerte de encontrar un centavo, La cucaracha compró diez vestidos nuevos.
Y empezaron a llegarle pretendientes a montón
Luego de que compró los vestidos, llegaron muchos pretendientes.
El grillo y el arrendajo entonaban su canción
El grillo y el arrendajo estaban cantando su canción.
Pero tan fuerte cantaban (pero tan fuerte cantaban)
Cantaban tan fuerte que La cucaracha los corrió (y también lo repitieron).
El cocuyo alumbra mucho
El cocuyo tiene mucha luz.
El gusano un vividor
El gusano es un superviviente.
Y el congorocho es más flojo que Teresa y morrocoy
El congorocho es más flojo que Teresa y el morrocoy.
Al fin llegó el ratón Pérez era muy trabajador
Finalmente llegó el ratón Pérez, que era muy trabajador.
Y la linda cucaracha (y la linda cucaracha)
Y la hermosa cucaracha... (repetición intencionada).
En sus brazos se rindió
La cucaracha se rindió en sus brazos.
Después vino el matrimonio
Luego vino la boda.
Con champaña, queso y ron
Hubo champaña, queso y ron.
Y en la olla del sancocho ratón Pérez se cayó
En la olla del sancocho, el ratón Pérez cayó.
La cucaracha gritaba de la desesperación
La cucaracha gritaba de desesperación.
Tan bonita y millonaria (tan bonita y millonaria)
Ella era tan bonita y rica (otra repetición).
La viudita se quedó
La viuda se quedó.
No sabía que el ratón Pérez en el agua era un campeón
No sabía que el ratón Pérez era un nadador campeón.
Y en estilo mariposa del sancocho se salió
Así que nadó fuera de la olla estilo mariposa.
Los dos vivieron felices disfrutando del amor
Los dos vivieron felices disfrutando de su amor.
Colorín y Colorado este cuento se acabó
Y así termina el cuento.
Contributed by Makayla E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@michelcolina3948
Como te amo mi Venezuela linda gracias dios por darme la dicha de nacer en esta tierra
@michelcolina3948
Dios los bendiga execelente
@danielduquehernandez3344
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️