Tradition and Artist Overview 

Afro Venezuelan music blends African rhythms with indigenous Venezuelan influences, reflecting the history of colonization from the 1500s to the 1800s. The music is characterized by powerful, polyrhythmic percussion, repeated chants, and communal dances. The main instruments used are drums, or tambores, such as the cumaco, laures, and clarìn, in addition to hand percussion such as the maraca. The purpose of Afro Venezuelan music is to bring the community together in public places, creating one powerful sound from many different instruments and rhythms. Afro Venezuelan music originated in and around the capital city of Caracas in Northern Venezuela where many enslaved people lived and labored; this city is beautiful and warm, in the middle of the mountain valley.  

Jeickov Vital is an internationally esteemed musician and the leader of the Afro-Venezuelan percussion band, Tambores Bombaya. Vital’s musical journey began in his hometown of Caracas, northern Venezuela, where he trained under the renowned conductor Maestro José Antonio Abreu. Throughout his career, Vital has performed professionally and led youth drumming workshops in many cities throughout the globe.