René Devia - Harpist and Composer

Hello camara!
From my musical collection I brought out an old “joropo” record called “Departamento del Meta (Department of Meta)” that came out in the “60’s
sung by the “Trio Los Galanes (The Gallant Trio)” and I began to think “Wow, this could have been the Department Hymn of the Meta!”. It is a beautiful joropo by the composer Florentino Montaño, but of course then this was a just a llanera song, very popular and appropriate when “El Meta” became a department. It describes “El Meta” as the “goddess of the orient” that provides future and glory to Colombia. It sings that Arauca, Casanare, Vichada, and Vaupes came to her party and you heard Zumba que Zumba, Corridos and Joropo music. The rhythm of the guitars plainly accompany these typical voices of the pueblo, who inspired by their surroundings paint a scenery of breeze and palm trees. As the birds sing, they sound like an orchestra.

Vocabulary
Region- Limits that extend throughout an area that is divided by natural resources or by political administration. The natural region of the llanos is called the “Orinoquía”. Sub-regions include Meta, Casanare, Arauca, y Vichada.

Caserios-(hut dwellings) are formed when visitors migrate through doing temporary work or exploration. Puerto Inirida was a caserío when my father Rudecindo Devia Cruz arrived in 1967 and was one of its founders.

Pueblo- (town) refers to an established community that keeps growing.

Cuidad- (city) A large sized population that is managed by authorities. Villavicencio is the city known as “the door/entrance to the llano”.

Territorio- territory or expansion of land that becomes populated.

Intendencia and Comisarias- (intendancies/parcels and commissaries/precincts) are minor divisions organized in the llano and in the jungle/forest made up of dispersed population without sufficient means for communication and less economic participation. The collaboration and contribution of the intendéncia and comisaría is important so that they can become recognized as a department of Colombia thus benefiting from the social and economic support. Casanáre was segregated by the Department of Boyacá on 05/15/1974 and created as an intendéncia of the llanos. Arauca, was also an intendéncia. Vichada and Guainía were comisarías. In the Amazonian region at one time there were: the Intendencía of El Caquetá and El Putumayo; and La Comisaría del Guainía, del Guaviare, and del Vaupes.

Department- Department/(full fledged state) recognized by the government as an entity of major important contributions offered by their economy, culture, and population. Today there are no intendéncias nor comisarías; they are all “departamentos (states)” and a reason to celebrate.

Corner Note
I have received greetings from many youth who are starting out with the llanera music. Among these are singers, composers, and musicians. There are various beginners and others that are already recording. Of all ages, both men and women are participating. There are some who follow a certain genre and others who follow a famous artist. There are also imitators, purists, innovators, and others are colossal-like. Even if you are born in or out of the llano, for me it doesn’t matter; whether you are from Colombia Venezuela, Panama, Mexico, or from the sky; I congratulate you. I congratulate you for loving the llano, for loving music, for promoting “the good”. Hopefully I can also be an inspiration to you.

Monthly Question

Who stayed with my manuscript/copy/draft of my book?

This And That
What is a hymn? When does a song become a hymn? A hymn is a song, tale, or ballad that is usually accompanied by a melody sung like an aria or march. In particular, it evokes an emotion that raises the heat and passion of a people to sing in unison with sentiments filled with solidarity or nationalism. One of the characteristics of a hymn include the description of a setting, or tells a story. Another element includes the honoring or loving the earth or country. A hymn may be folk or formal. There are hymns great and small; of schools, towns, states and countries. Before a song becomes a hymn, it has to be recognized as a hymn, where by consensus there is a proclamation that it is a hymn. To become an official hymn, there has to be a decree by law.

Here And There
In Colombia I wrote a composition named “Puerto Inirida” in 1972. It was the first time I visited my father there in Puerto Inirida. I arrived alone and with the harp he gave me just six years earlier for Christmas. A dump-truck was in charge of picking me up with harp and all at the airport with was thatched. I remember the driver exclaim, “See!, how come they say nobody important comes along this way”? Everything started when the town priest asked my father if I could accompany them and play some songs on my harp after mass. The church was another thatch roof hut and they placed a microphone out in the open air and it was amplified with two mega-phones. There was such attendance that Indians from nearby tribes came that were attracted by the music and even in the boughs and tree limbs indigenous children had climbed to listen to the music. As soon as I finished playing I promised the town that I would compose a song for Puerto Inirida. The next morning everyone greeted me and I was invited for lunch at the house of the commissary. This song was composed when Puerto Inirida was still the commissary of Guainía. It was decreed a hymn even though Guainía was not yet a department. Now many activities and festivals are celebrated there- just as I prophesized and recorded in the LP Rene Devia CBS 1977. There is a stanza in my hymn that says:

{“Vamos pa’lante Guainía
Que algun dia sera la gloria
Donde quiera que yo esté
Viviras en mi memoria
Tu nombre se escuchará
Retoño de mi Colombia
Con la brisa mañanera
Mi corazon mas te nombra”}

“Come lets go forth Guainía
For someday there’ll be glory
Wherever I am
You’ll live in my memory
Your name will be heard
Offspring of my Colombia
With the morning breeze
My heart mentions you more”

Puerto Inirida Letra y Musica René Devia.
Puerto Inirida Music and Lyrics René Devia.

Classifieds

Ingrid Devia
Graphic Design for all business needs
Personalize your logos, business cards, CD’s
Ingriddevia@hotmail.com
(954)638-6771

Yarolt Devia
Video, Light and Sound Technician
Call for quality live events
Yaroltdevia@gmail.com
(786)514-5781

Cuerdas Sonora
tel. Plutarco Toloza
(718)353-0616
Strings for all instruments

Donations

Please send your donations, honorariums or gifts that are very appreciated and needed to promote culture and folklore to

Rene Devia
PO BOX 761492
San Antonio TX. 78245

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