Guaco (band)
Guaco is a tropical music band from Venezuela that was formed in Maracaibo by Mario Viloria, Gustavo Aguado, and Fernando Dominguez in Zulia in 1968. Mario retired after being the main founder because of college studies but during his participation in the group he was the main composer for several years and his home was the main place where Guaco practiced in the beginnings. The name Guaco is attributed to Mario since in the mornings at his home where the band used to play and practice, a bird called Guaco would fly over. Mario later retired to continue his college studies on engineering but he continues to create "Guaco Music" for his family and friends in Venezuela and in Florida (U.S.) where he lives. The band, having begun as a regular Gaita Zuliana band (a folkloric Zulian rhythm with a heavy use of drums and percussion), during the 70s Guaco diverged from the traditional way of playing the genre by integrating it with elements of Salsa music (like complex horn arrangements), violins and electric guitars (very unusual instruments in a Gaita band). Nowadays, the Guaco rhythm continues to evolve through a complex mixture of Gaita, Salsa, Pop music, Jazz, Funk and even Rock and roll and Vallenato music beats, concocting a recognizable and unique style that is considered to be a landmark of the genre.
Band members
- Mario Viloria - Founder, Main Composer, Director, Vocals, Musical Director, Guitar (Retired)
- Juan Carlos Salas - Musical Director, trumpet
- Gustavo Aguado - Founder, Director, and Vocals
- Luis Fernando Borjas - Vocals
- Diego Rojas - Vocals
- Alexis Moreno - Charrasca
- Yonis Flores - Drum (Tambora)
- Vladimir Quintero - Congas
- Julio Rivera - Timbales
- Humberto Casanova - Drums
- Gustavo Molero - Bongó, Bells and Percussion
- Rafael Greco - Saxo Tenor (Tenor Sax)
- Norman Cepeda - Trombone
- Edepson González - Keyboards
- Henry Paul - Bass
- Carmelo Medina - Guitar
Discography
- Navidad Zuliana (Conjunto gaitero los Guacos del Zulia) - 1964
- Maracaibo Cuatricentenario (Conjunto gaitero estudiantil los Guacos del Zulia) 1965
- Festiival Gaitero (Conjunto gaitero estudiantil los Guacos del Zulia) 1966
- El Obrero (Conunto Los Guacos del Zulia) - 1968
- Maracaibo Cuatricentenario - 1969
- Los Guacos - 1970
- Guaco - 1971
- Esta gaita si está en algo - 1972
- Gaita a todo color con los Guaco - 1973
- Guaco 73
- No diga que no los ha escuchado ni los ha visto - 1974
- Guaco 75
- Guaco 76
- Grupo Guaco 77
- Criollo y Sabroso (Disco doble) - 1978
- Guaco 79
- Guaco 80
- Guaco 81
- Guaco 82
- Guaco 83
- Guaco es guaco - 1984
- Guaco 85
- Tercera Etapa - 1986
- Maduro - 1987
- Dejando Huella - 1988
- Betania - 1989
- Atraccion Fatal - 1990
- Guaco 90
- Guaco 91
- Guaco 91 (Japanese version)
- Guaco 92
- Guaco 93
- Triceratops - 1993
- Guaco Clásico I
- Guaco Clásico II
- Guaco Clásico III - Sabroso
- Archipiélago
- Amazonas
- Cómo era y cómo es - 1999
- Guaco es Guaco - 2000 (Compilation album under Universal Masters Collection label)
- Equilibrio - 2001
- Galopando - 2002
- El sonido de Venezuela - 2005
- Equus - 2006
- Guajiro - 2010
- Escultura - 2012
- Guaco Histórico (DVD) - 2014
- Presente continuo - 2014
