El Carrao de Palmarito: One of the greatest performers of llanera music (+Christmas)

Published at: 07/04/2025 08:17 AM

On April 7, 1928, Juan de los Santos Contreras was born in Apure, a prominent singer, composer and leading representative of llanera music, better known as El Carrao de Palmarito.

A man of humble origin, also known as the Clarín de la Llanura, in his youth he carried out several activities: milking, calving, ranger on horseback and foot and fisherman, although at ten years of age he was already showing his artistic skills.

Juan de los Santos, during a lanero festival, surprised José Romero Bello, a renowned poet and harpist, who takes him to a radio station so that all of Venezuela could know his singing.

However, in 1965 he was named El Carrao de Palmarito because of his tone of voice similar to the song of this bird, in a clear and loud way.

The musical piece that catapulted him to the top was Florentino and the Devil, representing the Devil in the tone of Pajarillo, accompanied by José Romero Bello as Florentino in the tone of Chapola, to the sound of Joseito Romero's harp. This piece earned him the title of the greatest interpreter of llanera music, according to the note published by the portal musicallanera.com.

Among the most popular songs in his repertoire are: Sentimiento Apureño, Cajón de Arauca Apureño, Touring Barinas, That Woman I Loved, Gabán Vagabundo, and others.

He was awarded the National Prize for Popular Culture in 1998, and he also participated in the Venezuelan films Beyond the Orinoco and Water and Blood.

Mazo News Team