Gaita zuliana (often simply called "gaita") is a style of Venezuelan folk music (and dance) from

Maracaibo ) , motto = "''Muy noble y leal''"(English: "Very noble and loyal") , anthem = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_alt = ...

Zulia State Zulia State ( es, Estado Zulia, ; Wayuu: ''Mma’ipakat Suuria'') is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Maracaibo. As of the 2011 census, it has a population of 3,704,404, the largest population among Venezuela's states. It ...

. According to

Joan Coromines Joan Coromines i Vigneaux (; also frequently spelled ''Joan Corominas''; Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico, by Joan Corominas icand José Antonio Pascual, Editorial Gredos, 1989, Madrid, . Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain 1 ...

, it may come from the word "''gaits''," the Gothic word for "goat", which is the skin generally used for the membrane of the furro drum. Other instruments used in gaita include

maraca A maraca (), sometimes called shaker or chac-chac, is a rattle which appears in many genres of Caribbean and Latin music. It is shaken by a handle and usually played as part of a pair. Maracas (from Guaraní ), also known as tamaracas, were ...

cuatro Cuatro is Spanish (and other Romance languages) for the number four. Cuatro may also refer to: * Cuatro (instrument), name for two distinct Latin American instruments, one from Puerto Rico (see Cuatro) and the other from Venezuela (see Cuatro) ...

, charrasca and tambora. Song themes range from the romantic to the political. The style became popular throughout Venezuela in the 1960s, and it fused with other styles such as

salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: A ...

and merengue in the 1970s. It is not to be confused with the ''gaita escocesa,'' also known simply as ''gaita'', which is Spanish for

bagpipes Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, ...

. Famous gaita groups include Cardenales del Éxito, Rincón Morales, Estrellas del Zulia, Barrio Obrero,

Gran Coquivacoa Gran Coquivacoa is a Venezuelan gaita zuliana group founded in 1968 by Jesús "Bocachico" Petit, Nelson Suárez, Rody Tigrera, Pedro Arteaga and Manolo Salazar in Cabimas, Zulia State. They were named Best Gaita Artist at the 2015 Pepsi Venezue ...

, Saladillo, Universidad de la Gaita, Koquimba, Melody Gaita, and

Maracaibo 15 {{Unreferenced, date=December 2010 Maracaibo 15 is a Venezuelan gaita band. Founded in 1974 by singer Betulio Medina in Maracaibo, the name of this group reflects the fact that it was originally formed by 15 members. Maracaibo 15 combines gaita wi ...

. The group Guaco started as a gaita group but now plays a unique and distinct style of music influenced by many Afro-Caribbean and Iberian rhythms. An important singer involved in Gaita Zuliana music is Ricardo Aguirre, "El Monumental de la Gaita" or the Monumental Artist of the Gaita.

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

has adopted gaita with some variation, calling it ''

parang Parang is a popular folk music originating from Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago that was brought to Trinidad and Tobago by Venezuelan migrants who were primarily of Amerindian, Spanish, Mestizo, Pardo, and African heritage, something which ...

''.

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