Pancho Prin

Pancho Prin

“Folk dancing is a natural aspect of daily life . . . .to most Venezuelans the epitome of folk dance is the joropo.” (Olsen,D., Sheehy, D. 2008. p. 307) Joropo is considered the national dance of Venezuela. However, joropo means more than dance. Joropo encompasses the event surrounding the dance. The event, or the coming together of people could be for a birthday all the way up to a national or religious holiday. In this way, the joropo musician was a central feature of Venezuelan cultural heritage and tradition. And “the best known musician to sing in this (central-coastal) style was Pancho Prin. Born Francisco de Paula Prin Villegas on April 2, 1930 in Cue, Miranda State, Venezuela. Learned hard work at an early age farming, he earned local support from folk singers as well as his grandfather Filomeno Echezuria, a recognized harpist. Pancho completed his first recording at age 18. At age 48 he received the Cristobal Rojas Prize in its first order from the Municipal Council of Cua. His career spanned 50 years. Pancho received international success expanding the joropo beyond local borders. Pancho recorded 59 albums. A few of his more recognized songs include El Gavilan pollero, Canto al Amanecer Tuyero, La Madrugada llanera, El Aguardiente, Atardecer Mirandino. Pancho died on February 11, 2003.




Olsen, D., Sheehy, D. 2008. The Garland Handbook of Latin American Music. Routledge. NY.
Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancho_Prin. March 8, 2010