Culture of Venezuela

Venezuela's cultural heritage includes the original Venezuelan natives, the Spanish and Africans who arrived after the Spanish conquest, and the 19th century waves of immigration that brought many Italians, Portuguese, Arabs, Germans, Moroccan Jews, and others from the bordering countries of South America.

Following the rise of political literature during the War of Independence, Venezuelan Romanticism, notably expounded by Juan Vicente González and Fermin Toro emerged as the first important genre in the region.

Although mainly focused on narrative writing, Venezuelan literature was also advanced by poets such as Andrés Eloy Blanco and Fermín Toro.

Major writers and novelists include Rómulo Gallegos, Teresa de la Parra, Arturo Uslar Pietri, Adriano González León, Miguel Otero Silva, and Mariano Picón Salas.

Typical musical styles and pieces mainly emerged in and around the llanos region, including "Alma Llanera" (by Pedro Elías Gutiérrez and Rafael Bolívar Coronado), Florentino y el Diablo (by Alberto Arvelo Torrealba), Concierto en la Llanura (by Juan Vicente Torrealba), and "Caballo Viejo" (by Simón Díaz).