A Modern Venezuelan Cuatro

by Luis Colmenares

Originally published in American Lutherie #142, 2021



I am one of the millions of Venezuelans that have left that country in the last ten years amid the terrible crisis that is going on there. Many of my fellow nationals and I have ended up in the USA, where we have been given the chance of starting a new life. But when you emigrate, you don’t really start a new life; you bring with you your experiences, your memories, and your culture. Then you try to use that as a foundation for what will be the rest of your life.

In our case, this means that we are now integrating into a society that is pretty similar to ours, but naturally doesn’t have some of our deeply rooted customs. Some have seen this situation as an opportunity. Nowadays one can find restaurants selling our food in many cities, and Venezuelan goods are sold both online and in brick-and-mortar places. These are palpable signs of a community that is putting down roots.