A Venezuelan Music Special

Venezuela is buckling under a severe economic crisis and in the capital, once a bohemian mecca riding high on oil prices, the streets are deserted in the evenings due to spiralling crime rates. Despite the gloomy headlines, music continues to thrive. Jennifer Lucy Allan travelled to Caracas recently and returns with pockets full of music, including: cowboy songs from the Southern plains; Changa Tuki, the hard electronic dance music of the barrios; and feverish musique concrète.

We also explore the idea of electro-shamanism with Venezuelan ambient-electronic composer Miguel Noya. He discusses how certain frequencies and binaural sound patterns can have transformative impacts on the brain, rooted in his experiences of ritual music amongst the indigenous people in the north of Venezuela.

Produced by Alannah Chance.
A Reduced Listening Production for BBC Radio 3.