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Venezuelan musicians seeking a new path in the U.S.

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Venezuelan musicians seeking a new path in the U.S.

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Content VENEZUELAN MUSICIANS SEEKING A NEW PATH IN THE U.S.
by
Olga Rojas
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ANNENBERG SCHOOL FOR
COMMUNICATION AND JOURNALISM
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM)
August 2022
Copyright 2022 Olga Rojas
Table of Content
Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………………….. iii
Introduction …………………………………………………………………..…………....….. 1
Immigrants Journeys. Podcast Episode One ……………………………………..…….… 6
Immigrants Journeys. Podcast Episode Two …………………………………..……….... 18
Bibliography ……………………………………………………………….………………… 31
ⅰi
Abstract
More than six million Venezuelans left their homeland in the last five years. To ponder
this situation, imagine that all the inhabitants of the state of Maryland in the United
States leave this country, or try to visualize that the entire population of Denmark flee
that European nation.
In this thesis we investigate the social, political and economic conditions that have
forced Venezuelans to flee their homes. This has been described as an unarmed
conflict, and categorized as a conflict of political instability
1
.
We take as an example a couple of Venezuelan musicians, firstly because it is a
Podcast, and secondly, because one of the most recognized Venezuelans in the United
States is Gustavo Dudamel, director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Two musicians shared their reasons why they are currently residing in North America.
A large amount of audiovisual material, from videos to concerts, was used to help
contextualize the causes of this exodus.
Interviews were conducted with two professors, one in the United States and another
one in Venezuela. In addition, the results of research carried out by other agencies,
such as the Human Rights Watch and the Pew Research Center are shared in this
thesis.
1
Gonzalez, Rosa Amelia. 2021. Venezuela: Devastating effects of a long conflict of political instability. Switzerland:
Springer Nature. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-74966-8_18
iii
Introduction
I have been avoiding reporting on my native Venezuela for a long time, because I know
it would be very difficult for me, almost painful. However, I have an inner voice that tells
me that I have to do something... There are many things that need to be said.
The Venezuelan Music Academy The System
2
, where Gustavo Dudamel director of the
Los Angeles Philharmonic
3
, comes from, created generations of talented musicians.
They, like many Venezuelans, have emigrated in recent years due to the socioeconomic
and political crisis in that South American country that was once called the "Switzerland
of Latin America" for its oil boom
4
.
In the last two decades, Venezuela has become one of the poorest nations
5
on the
continent. That was not the Venezuela I grew up in.
At some point, I felt voiceless. I thought that because I had left the country, I had no
right to say anything about it. Even in conversations with some Venezuelans, they made
me feel like I was like that first rat that jumped off the ship during the storm, that it was
not fair for me to judge the events of my nation from a distance. But the reality is that I
have been a silent witness to the process, with the advantage of not having the
emotional burden of literally surviving the day-to-day in Venezuela.
Also, I've been learning a lot of other storytelling skills.
5
Reuters. 2021. “Extreme poverty in Venezuela rises to 76.6% - study” September 29, 2021.
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/extreme-poverty-venezuela-rises-766-study-2021-09-29/
1
4
BBC News Mundo. 2019. “Como era Venezuela cuando era un país rico y por qué la llamaban la Venezuela
Saudita.” March 1, 2019. https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-47416450
3
LA Phil. Gustavo Dudamel Music & Artist Director. Accessed April 27, 2022. https://www.laphil.com/
2
El Sistema. Música para todos. Gobierno de Bolivariano de Venezuela. Accessed February 19, 2022.
https://elsistema.org.ve/
The idea of this thesis is to present the testimony of two Venezuelan musicians who
were trained in the nation's famous music academy: El Sistema. I wanted to find out
why they emigrated, if they left their families there, and what they are doing in the
United States today. I wanted to narrate their journey and, through them, the pilgrimage
of millions of Venezuelans who have left behind their shattered homeland in search of
opportunities.
It seems too easy for some people to simply blame those of us who left our homeland.
We hear from the highest positions of political power in the United States how
immigrants have been labeled as rapists. Not long ago, some blamed this group for the
lack of jobs in the U.S.
6
The objective of this podcast is to use music as a universal language to narrate the
situation of Venezuelan immigrants, and somehow relate the similarities they may have
with the experience of any other immigrant in the world.
This is a series of two podcast episodes. I wanted to push myself to tell this story in a
different way.
It was a challenge to find these musicians. A person put me in contact with
multi-instrumentalist and engineer Carlos Mosquera
7
. I explained to him what the thesis
was about, and he agreed to do the interview in a couple of days. But after speaking
with his mother, he decided not to participate in the podcast. A few years ago, his
brother was kidnapped and murdered in Venezuela. They just didn't want any kind of
controversy.
7
Mosquera, Carlos. Instagram video chat. https://www.instagram.com/notomocoffee/ October 12, 2021
2
6
ACLU. Immigrants and the economy. Access June 22, 2022. https://www.aclu.org/other/immigrants-and-economy
I understood them. I have been worried about my own family who are still in Venezuela
while producing this podcast. I know how the security forces operate there.
It was Mosquera who put me in touch with his colleague Ana Paola Rincones
8
, and she
introduced me to Eva Moreno
9
later on.
Moreno gave me the phone numbers of two more musicians. I called them repeatedly,
but they never returned my calls.
There was another musician that I found through a song. When I interviewed conductor
Edgar Pronio
10
, who lives in Bolivar state in Venezuela, he sent me via WhatsApp a
song that he performed a cappella called ‘Registro de Pajarillo
11
’ by Jorge Montilla.
While researching, I found that Montilla is an assistant professor at the School of Music
at the University of Iowa, and he was a clarinetist in El Sistema. I wrote him an email for
an interview and although he agreed, he never gave me a date and time for the
interview. I followed up several times.
I think it is important to mention that I decided to leave the conversation with conductor
Edgar Pronio as a background interview. I feared that he might lose his job in
Venezuela. But his testimony confirmed what Rincones and Moreno told me about how
El Sistema operated.
In the podcast itself, I mentioned why I did not interview Wuilly Arteaga
12
, whose torture
is documented in the report made by Human Rights Watch
13
.
13
Human Rights Watch. Americas Division. 2017. “Crackdown on Dissent. Brutality, torture, and political persecution
in Venezuela. November 29, 2017
https://www.hrw.org/report/2017/11/30/crackdown-dissent/brutality-torture-and-political-persecution-venezuela
3
12
Arteaga, Wuilly. Instagram Video Chat. https://www.instagram.com/wuillyarteaga/ December 2, 2021. 2:22 PM
11
Montilla, Jorge and Tescarollo, Hamilton. 2020. “Registro de Pajarillo”. May 6, 2020. YouTube video 3:35
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeZ61NIE4Eg
10
Pronio, Edgar. Zoom interview. December 30, 2021
9
Moreno, Eva. Zoom Interview. January 22, 2022
8
Rincones, Ana Paola. Zoom Interview. December 21, 2021
I spent hours reviewing news about the protests in Venezuela to choose those seconds
that best reflected what was being told in the podcast.
In the same way, I try to choose those Venezuelan melodies that almost the entire
nation identifies with.
Venezuela's trajectory is intertwined with oil
14
, and in its recent history with Hugo
Chavez. I was an eyewitness to the class divisions, and even family divisions, that this
populist president caused in Venezuela.
I cannot help but perceive as a recurring nightmare in the United States the tremendous
political division that another populist president
15
Donald Trump, accentuated in this
country recently.
As an immigrant I have always felt like an outsider. It is a strange feeling of not
belonging one hundred percent here. And when I visit Venezuela, I realize that I am no
longer one hundred percent part of that country either. But I have learned to calmly
reconcile these two worlds.
Although some of the experts see the impossibility of having hope in Venezuela, I want
to hold one detail the Venezuelan professor Rosa Amelia Gonzalez pointed out during
our interview: “One day, we are going to study about the resilience of Venezuelans”. In
addition, I believe that there is an immense secret weapon in the cheerfulness of the
Venezuelan people, which could contribute to rebuilding a better future. Just look at how
those musicians from El Sistema play music: It’s pure joy. It was a very unique
orchestra.
15
Democracy Paradox Podcast. 2021. “Caitlin Andrews-Lee on Charismatic movements and personalist leaders.”
December 14, 2021 49:53
https://democracyparadox.com/2021/12/14/caitlin-andrews-lee-on-charismatic-movements-and-personalistic-leaders/
4
14
Karl, Terry Lynn. 1997. The Paradox of Plenty: Oil Booms and Petro-States. University of California Press.
My hopes are infinitely higher for the United States, because I deeply agree with that
musician I interviewed: This is the country that has given me opportunities to grow. This
is my son's nation. Just as it was said to me with great conviction a few years ago by an
immigration officer at the Miami Airport, after checking our passports: Welcome home
Ma’am!... Yes, this is my home now.
5
Immigrants Journeys. Episode One
INTRO
In 2014 people in Venezuela
16
started leaving the country. 2017 has been registered as
one of the most difficult times in that Latin America nation. As a result, six million
Venezuelans fled the country
17
. Many of them were musicians, who landed in the United
States.
[Play music Pasaje del olvido
18
Starts 1:18:24]
TRACK1
Welcome to my podcast: “Immigrants Journeys”, where we bring to life the stories of
people who have left their home country. This is Olga Rojas. I am a Venezuelan living in
the United States for more than a decade. I know those circumstances very well.
[Play orchestra warming up
19
]
TRACK 2
Today, we are going to explore the reasons for the musical exodus from Venezuela.
One of the best known Venezuelans is Gustavo Dudamel, who became the music
director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic
20
at the age of 28. The one who shakes his
20
LA Phil. Gustavo Dudamel Music & Artistic Director. Accessed April 27, 2022 https://www.laphil.com/
6
19
Guaco, Orquesta Sinfonica Simon Bolivar - Concierto Sinfónico. 2018. Guaco. April 18, 2018. YouTube video.
1.10:28 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pISqX4c8yk0
18
42 Aniversario de la Sinfónica Simón Bolívar - Homenaje a Simón Díaz. Gustavo Dudamel. 2020. El Sistema. July
11, 2020. YouTube video 1.47:16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhCgllK5WwY
17
Venezuela Humanitarian Crisis. UNHCR. The UN Refugee Agency. Refugee Facts
https://www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/venezuela/#:~:text=About%20the%20Crisis%20in%20Venezuela&text=The
%20humanitarian%20crisis%20in%20Venezuela,Latin%20America%20and%20the%20Caribbean.
16
Del Campo, Clara. 2021. “The world cannot fail those fleeing the crisis in Venezuela.” November 10, 2021.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/11/world-cannot-fail-those-fleeing-crisis-venezuela/
hair when conducting an orchestra. Dudamel has been described as: enthusiastic,
brilliant, and a prodigious conductor.
[Play music Fuga con Pajarillo
21
Starts 2:00]
TRACK 3
But how did Dudamel become one of the most outstanding musicians of our time? The
answer could be expressed in one phrase: El Sistema or The System.
Jose Antonio Abreu founded the System of Orchestras in Venezuela in 1975. Here he is
in a TED talk in 2009.
[Play video TED TALK
22
]
“It is a program of social rescue and deep cultural transformation designed for the whole
Venezuelan society with absolutely no distinctions whatsoever.”
TRACK 4
The goal of El Sistema is to teach classical music for free. This program started with 11
children and grew to more than 300 thousand students from all over the country.
TRACK 5
Gustavo Dudamel was conducting orchestras at age 15. His fellow Venezuelans said:
This place is too small for you. In his early 20s he left his homeland for better
opportunities in Europe. But, many others had to flee.
22
Abreu, Jose Antonio. 2009. “The El Sistema Music Revolution”. Filmed February 2009 at TED. Caracas,
Venezuela. Video 16:37 https://www.ted.com/talks/jose_antonio_abreu_the_el_sistema_music_revolution
7
21
“Fuga de Pajarillo''. 2009. I Parte Gustavo Dudamel. Teresa Carreño Youth Symphony Orchestra. September 7,
2009.YouTube video. 10:16 https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Y-3tZb7-x6M
But in order to understand the journey of El Sistema, and to learn why so many of its
musicians ended up in the United States, we need to know a little about the history of
Venezuela.
[Play music Caballo Viejo Starts 1:27:33]
TRACK 6
In the 1970s, Venezuela was known as: 'the Switzerland of Latin America' because of
its oil wealth. El Sistema was born during that period.
In 1999, Hugo Chavez won the presidency… and everything changed.
[Play Hugo Chavez
23
’s first inauguration]
“I swear to God, I swear to the country, I swear to my people, that in this dying
constitution, I will enforce and promote the necessary democratic transformations...”
TRACK 7
Let’s be clear. Before Chavez, Venezuela was not a perfect democracy. Corruption was
rampant, and many poor and working class Venezuelans felt shut out of the system.
ACTUALITY
Weyland: Hugo Chavez rose, because he posed the biggest, most daring challenge to
that old, tired, fatigued democracy.
23
Associated Press Archive. “Venezuela: Hugo Chavez is president. February 2, 1999.” YouTube video July 23, 2015. 1:12.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a365KkV_l7M
8
TRACK 8
Professor Kurt Weyland is an expert on democracy and authoritarian regimes at the
University of Texas.
ACTUALITY
Weyland: The old political parties were discredited, corruption was rampant. And so
there was a growing rejection of the status quo. People hated the existing system, and
the biggest outsider, and the biggest challenge was Hugo Chavez. So people
essentially went for the biggest, most romantic outside, the biggest challenge and it was
Hugo Chavez because he had made it cool. So when you think of it, the democratic
electorate votes for a coup maker. You see how much rejection there was of the
established system. That is a very risky move, because a coup maker is not exactly a
very democratic leader.
ACTUALITY
Gonzalez: “In the beginning, it was described as a hybrid regime, with democratic
features, but also autocratic characteristics.
TRACK 9
This is professor and researcher at the Public Center of IESA, Rosa Amelia Gonzalez
who adds this about Chavez’s government.
ACTUALITY
9
Gonzalez: I would say that with the passage of time the weight of the autocratic has
surpassed the democratic values, and this situation has had very important
consequences for the life of the country and its citizens.”
TRACK 10
During the years of his presidency, Chavez's government took control of the Supreme
Court and later, the Congress.
Professor Gonzalez from Caracas illustrates how this regime operated.
ACTUALITY
Gonzalez: “The group in power antagonizes any other actor that doesn’t follow its
precepts. Anything that opposes it can be the private or business sector, any form of
organized expression of society, all those are the classic political opponents. All of them
are seen as the adversary, and then you are in conflict with those adversaries all the
time.”
TRACK 11
Hugo Chavez died in March 2013. His handpicked successor was Nicolas Maduro.
[PLAY ABC News
24
]
The provocative and unpredictable strongman of Venezuela has died. The streets are
filled with mourners. Hugo Chavez, he controlled more oil reserves than Saudi Arabia.
So what does this mean it is a new day for the US…
24
ABC News. 2013. “Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez dead at 58.” March 5, 2013. YouTube video 1:59.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=TnYEc5rt8l4
10
TRACK 12
Venezuelan society began to organize to oppose the government. People took to the
streets, banging on kitchen pans and marching. Over the years these public
demonstrations became large and constant. Here professor Gonzalez re-counting those
moments.
[Play sounds of pans
25
]
ACTUALITY
Gonzalez: “The last massive protests that took place in Venezuela was in 2017. Those
protests, unlike all the others, were repressed very harshly with public force. The truth is
that the government, I would say, decided to put an end to this movement no matter
what the cost would be… and it cost many deaths. Since then, the population thinks a
lot before going out on the streets, and I don't blame anyone who thinks twice, because
that was extremely painful. Many people died, many young people died. It was horrible.”
TRACK 13
In 2017, the Venezuelan Attorney General’s office put the number of dead at 124.
Human Rights Watch reported
26
that two thousand people were injured, and some five
thousand protesters were detained. Martina Rapido Ragozzino is with Human Rights
Watch.
26
Human Rights Watch. Americas Division. 2017. “Crackdown on Dissent. Brutality, Torture, and Political Persecution in
Venezuela. November 29, 2017
https://www.hrw.org/report/2017/11/30/crackdown-dissent/brutality-torture-and-political-persecution-venezuela
11
25
Convive TV. “Venezuela 1996 Cuarta República Cacerolazos Crisis Económica.” April 17, 2018. YouTube video. 1:36
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=432XrXs3Kbs&t=35s
ACTUALITY
Ragozzino: “People took to the streets because they did not agree with the government,
because they claimed… They have had actual claims about repression, lack of freedom
of speech, lack of access to basic needs, and the response of the government was to
respress these protests."
TRACK 14
Human Rights Watch said that at least 314 people were victims of human rights
violations between April and September of 2017.
[Play sounds of protests
27
]
ACTUALITY
Ragozzino: “We have been reporting on the torture, disappearances, extrajudicial
killings for a long time now. Two major reports came out in 2014 and 2017, talking about
this repression, against opposition, political opposition, but also against people that
were… that came to the streets against the government.”
TRACK 15
Amid the protests hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans started leaving their country.
Many of them walked for days until they reached neighboring Colombia. From there,
they went to other countries.
27
BBC News. Latin America & Caribbean. 2017. “Venezuela protesters block city streets”. May 2, 2017. YouTube video. 0:59.
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-latin-america-39787542
12
[Play The The NewsMakers
28
]
“Colombia is overwhelmed. Migrants from neighboring Venezuela are pouring into the
country everyday, but unlike many refugees in Europe, these people aren’t fleeing a
war. They're escaping an economic disaster. In the past 18 months alone more than a
million Venezuelans have arrived in Colombia but hundreds of thousands have also
emigrated to several other countries in South America.”
TRACK 16
Human Rights Watch says there is a humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. People don’t
have access to basic needs. There is a lack of food, medicine, and ironically… a lack of
gasoline in a nation that was one of the world's biggest producers of oil just five years
ago. And then, there is the political crisis that began with Chavez and continued under
the presidency of Nicolas Maduro.
ACTUALITY
Ragozzino: “There are around six million Venezuelans outside their country right now.
This has been counting since the crisis started in 2014.”
TRACK 17
28
The Newsmaker. 2018. “More than a million Venezuelans flee to Colombia.” September 13, 2018. YouTube Video. 3:15.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaMuWpTMNE0
13
To put this number into perspective, imagine if the entire population of Maryland
29
left
the United States, or all the people in Denmark
30
walked out of their country.
Professor Rosa Amelia Gonzalez describes one of the most recent human exodus.
ACTUALITY
Gonzalez: “We began to see another type of migration… Let's say, it was the most
painful one, because it was very, very poor people who walked out of the country,
crossed the Andes to reach Colombia, and from there, connect elsewhere. Listen, that's
a sign of the desperation of a country. Because this enters into another category. It's like
the evidence that people are already convinced that they have nothing to lose.”
[Play music Mi querencia
31
Starts 15:36]
TRACK 18
But this is not just the painful chronicle of Venezuelans fleeing
32
their country. This story
is also about the contributions that these Venezuelans share with the world: the joy of
music.
32
Amnesty International. 2019. Welcome Venezuela: Regional campaign for those fleeing massive human right violations in
Venezuela. Why are people leaving Venezuela? May 7, 2019.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2019/05/bienvenida-venezuela-campana-regional-personas-que-huyen-crisis-d
erechos-humanos/
14
31
42 Aniversario de la Sinfónica Simón Bolívar - Homenaje a Simón Díaz. Gustavo Dudamel. 2020. El Sistema. July 11, 2020.
YouTube video 1.47:16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhCgllK5WwY
30
Denmark. 2020. “Quick Facts about Denmark.” Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. Copenhagen.
https://denmark.dk/quick-facts
29
United States Census. 2021. “Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States.”
https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?tid=PEPPOP2021.NST_EST2021_POP&hidePreview=false
Maestro José Antonio Abreu
33
died in 2018. He always talked of music as a
transforming instrument of society. He created an academy that trained thousands of
children and young people. Here he is again in that TED talk.
[Play video TED TALK]
“Today we can say that art in Latin America is no longer a monopoly of elites, and that it
has become a social right, a right for all the people.”
TRACK 19
In the 70s’ many companies were part of the Venezuelan government, including the
State Oil Company, which was considered by the media organization Fortune
34
, one the
best corporations in the world.
The System of Orchestras also received funds from the Venezuelan government.
And now, countless thousands who learned music in The System have abandoned their
country. For example, in one of the Venezuelan states there were 1,055 members in
their orchestras before 2017. Today, there are only 300 musicians in the same state
35
.
During those 2017 protests, among the many injured, tortured and killed were members
of the System of Orchestras
36
.
36
Casey, Nicholas and Torres, Patricia. 2017. “Anti-government protests in Venezuela turn violent.” The New York Times. April 4,
2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/world/americas/venezuela-maduro-protests-supreme-court.html
15
35
Pronio, Edgar. Zoom interview. December 30, 2021
34
CNN Money. 2006. Fortune Global 500. July, 24, 2006. PDVSA
https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2006/snapshots/1038.html
33
Huezenga, Tom and Flanagan, Andrew. 2018 “Jose Antonio Abreu, Venezuelan who envisioned musical education for all, dead
at 78.” March 26, 2018. NPR.
https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2018/03/26/597006488/jos-abreu-venezuelan-conductor-who-envisioned-musical-ed
ucation-for-all-dead-at
[Play Wuilly Arteaga violin
37
]
TRACK 20
This is the music of violinist Wuilly Arteaga. He was tortured by Venezuelan security
forces and as a result, lost some of his hearing. He was granted asylum in the United
States. I contacted him. We connected through social media, but I saw horror in his
eyes when I was trying to convince him to talk about his experiences. He seemed lost.
The interview never happened.
TRACK 21
But it was the death of another string player that induced conductor Gustavo Dudamel
to write an open letter to the government saying: Enough is enough
38
.
Violist Armando Cañizalez went through El Sistema, and was killed during protests at
the Caracas streets in 2017. He was eighteen years old. Dudamel has always been
reluctant to speak out about the political situation in Venezuela, and his relationship to
the government has been controversial. I requested an interview with Gustavo Dudamel
through the LA Philharmonic.
[Play orchestra warming up
39
]
39
Guaco, Orquesta Sinfonica Simon Bolivar - Concierto Sinfónico. 2018. Guaco. April 18, 2018. YouTube video.
1.10:28 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pISqX4c8yk0
16
38
Tsioulcas, Anastasia. 2017. “Gustavo Dudamel addresses Venezuela’s leaders: ‘Enough is Enough’.” May 4, 2017. NPR.
https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2017/05/04/526897569/gustavo-dudamel-addresses-venezuelas-leaders-eno
ugh-is-enough
37
Eichler, Jeremy. 2017. “A musical voice of Venezuela’s resistance, silenced by regime.” The Boston Globe. August 6, 2017.
Video. 0:45
https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2017/08/06/musical-voice-venezuela-resistance-silenced-regime/mnex9VlLn0EL0kzb
Xz2RlN/story.html
CROSSFADE
TRACK 22
The answer: Due to his very busy schedule Gustavo Dudamel is not available to
participate in your podcast.
TRACK 23
Many of the musicians who were trained in El Sistema in Venezuela, emigrated here to
the United States. The irony today: they are now playing in exile. And yet, they are
adapting to a country that offers them new opportunities. In return, they give their gift of
music.
[Play music Eva Moreno
40
]
TRACK 24
In our next episode we will be talking with two musicians who will share their journey
coming to the United States, and their longing for their homeland.
Sign-off
This is Olga Rojas
40
Moreno, Eva. 2021. “No words, just Try02.” Facebook. October 13, 2021
https://www.facebook.com/100041082261253/videos/307609277402955/
17
Immigrants Journeys. Episode 2
INTRO
Hi, this is Olga Rojas. Welcome to my podcast: Immigrants Journeys, where we bring to
life the stories of people who have left their home country.
[PLAY MUSIC Bolivar Phil
41
Starts 2:35]
In our previous episode, we were talking about how Venezuela's crisis has forced
people to leave their motherland. Many of them are musicians, trained in the country's
acclaimed national program, The System. Today, we go deeper into Venezuela's
musical exodus, as we meet Eva and Ana.
ACTUALITY
Eva: This was a hard decision. When I came here I was playing in one of the most
important orchestras in Venezuela. I have my daughter, and for me… was so hard
because I felt that I already had a life.
[Play Paganini Project
42
here]
TRACK 1
Eva Moreno is a 34 year old flutist, mother, wife, daughter and sister. Some years ago,
before coming to the United States, she was part of the Municipal Orchestra in Caracas.
42
Paganini Project. 2021. “Paganini Caprice No. 16.” Facebook. April 26, 2021.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=413671719746771
18
41
Bolivar Phil “The love for the art of music”. YouTube video. October 10, 2019. 7:49
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZghHNvZL0hM
[PLAY SONG: Arriba El Joropo. Orquesta Sinfónica Municipal de Caracas OSMC
43
]
TRACK 2
When did you decide to leave Venezuela? and Why?
ACTUALITY
Eva: It was in 2016. The decision was because of the crisis in Venezuela. I was so
scared. I didn't want to play. I was scared about someone stole my flute, or someone
can kill me on my way to the theater. Because it was really hard times.
TRACK 3
Venezuela has been gripped by the largest protest since Nicolas Maduro became
president, following the death of Hugo Chavez a year ago.
Like thousands of other Venezuelans, Eva took to the streets, too.
ACTUALITY
Eva: I went to several protests and one time I felt like I can die at any one of them,
especially in.. it was 2014, and I felt: No, I cannot come anymore because this is
serious. This is something… This is a place where you can die and that's it, you know.
[Play here EURONEWS
44
about the 2014 protest]
44
Euronews. 2014. “Venezuela’s deadly wave of protest rages into second month.” March 14, 2014. Youtube video. 2:12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cmr6Y-kD6xk
19
43
Orquesta Sinfónica Municipal de Caracas OSMC. 2015. La Epopeya de Bolívar. February 5, 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5mUS2JAiig&t=484s
Unrest that broke out in early February as peaceful student demonstrations, has turned
deadly. An estimated 30 protesters have been killed in violent police crackdowns.
Major opposition…
[Crossfade]
ACTUALITY
Eva: I worked in one of the orchestras that was forced to be part of the political events…
I remember a concert where they were wearing all the red shirts, that was the color for
the government. And the people got drunk in that event. It was like a mess, like a party
with an orchestra.
[Play Orquesta Sinfónica Municipal de Caracas OSMC
45
]
TRACK 4
Eva felt increasingly unsafe. Unable to air her views, vulnerable to be fired for saying
the wrong thing.
ACTUALITY
- I felt scared of other things.
- Being a political prisoner?
- Yeah, yeah.
45
Orquesta Sinfónica Municipal de Caracas OSMC. 2015. La Epopeya de Bolívar. February 5, 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5mUS2JAiig&t=484s
20
TRACK 5
Eva’s brother in law was living in Florida, and offered to help them settle in Miami. She
filed for political asylum.
ACTUALITY
Do you have other family members that have left the country?
Yes, my brother lives in Uruguay for the same reason. I had six years without seeing my
sister and I have the same time without seeing my parents…
TRACK 6
There was a long pause on our Zoom call. Her smile disappeared. Tears rolled down
Eva's face.
The truth is that I have a sister. I haven't seen her in three years. I know this pain. Many
immigrants don’t have the luxury to share Mother’s Day, Christmas or New Year with our
relatives.
ACTUALITY
- Sorry…
- Take your time, take your time, sweetie.
- Okay.
[PLAY PAGANINI PROJECT
46
HERE]
46
Paganini Project. 2021. “Paganini Caprice No. 16.” Facebook. April 26, 2021.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=413671719746771
21
TRACK 7
In 2019, Eva and her husband, Carlos Aragon made a list of musicians from the System
of Orchestra of Venezuela that were living in Miami. They emailed them because they
wanted to create an orchestra and invited their peers. The response was overwhelming:
yes.
The same year, they applied for a grant with the Knight Foundation
47
and won a
challenge of 60 thousand dollars.
On June 30, 2019 more than one hundred musicians shared the stage in the Performing
Arts Center at Florida International University. The Bolivar Phil made its debut.
[PLAY MUSIC BOLIVAR PHIL
48
]
ACTUALITY
Carlos: “They play with their soul. They play with everything… And that's extraordinary."
TRACK 8
That was the conductor of the Bolivar Phil, Carlos Riazuelo. Every musician talked
about the magical experience of being together again on stage doing what they love to
do.
ACTUALITY
48
Bolivar Phil “The love for the art of music”. YouTube video. October 10, 2019. 7:49
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZghHNvZL0hM
22
47
Mozloom, Lisa. “Knight Foundation kicks off art week Miami by announcing 44 winning ideas in 2019 Knight Arts Challenge”.
2019. Press Release. November 30, 2019
https://knightfoundation.org/press/releases/knight-foundation-kicks-off-art-week-miami-by-announcing-44-winning-ideas-in-20
19-knight-arts-challenge/
Eva: Phil is my baby. My big baby project. It’s a dream to say thank you to the country
that received me. It's the miracle to live again the powerful feeling to be in an orchestra.
[PLAY SIMON BOLIVAR ORCHESTRA
49
]
ACTUALITY
Ana: I was playing with the orchestra that I always wanted to play with, which is The
Simon Bolivar Orchestra.
TRACK 9
Ana Paola Rincones also dedicated her life to music in Venezuela. Until a few years
ago, she never imagined leaving the country.
ACTUALITY
- When did you arrive to the United States? And when did you leave Venezuela?
- I left four years ago and it was around July.
TRACK 10
But like Eva Moreno, Ana found she could no longer live in her homeland.
ACTUALITY
Ana: I left the country because my husband and I were both musicians. He is a very
successful percussion player and producer back in the time in Venezuela. And I can say
49
42 Aniversario de la Sinfónica Simón Bolívar - Homenaje a Simón Díaz. Gustavo Dudamel. 2020. El Sistema. July 11, 2020.
YouTube video 1.47:16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhCgllK5WwY
23
that I was very happy. I was getting in the positions and in the places in music in
Venezuela that I was fighting so much for.
[PLAY THE SIMON BOLIVAR ORCHESTRA HERE]
ACTUALITY
Ana: I was one of the faces, the hostess of El Sistema TV show program called ‘El Pais
Orquestra’.
[Play TV Program
50
here]
“Hola, bienvenidos al País Orquesta una hora con El Sistema Nacional de Orquesta y
Coros Infantiles y Juveniles de Venezuela…”
ACTUALITY
Ana: I was also on the board of the Latin American Flute Academy. That was really cool.
And I was living those moments. And I was also in the middle of my masters in music.
Plus, doing a lot of performances. And I was starting to get known more as a soloist
because I launched my first CD album.
- The Guajira?
- Elegante Guajira. Yes!
[PLAY MUSIC ELEGANTE GUAJIRA
51
]
51
La Dama Guajira. 2015. Ana Paola Rincones. November 4, 2015. Youtube video 4:28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daqnJN5STYY&list=OLAK5uy_l9aH0RYudEicPNa6F1LhZb9xG7-hAJAl4
24
50
El País Orquesta. 2021. “Memoria del compositor venezolano Inocente Carreño.” Revoluciona. Youtube Video. March 07,
2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Icf2RvAy4bE&t=35s
ACTUALITY
Ana: The violence that we were living at that time… that was very heavy in the country.
It was very sad and two parts of the world that I was living, because I was in my little
bubble, which is El Sistema. And I was the happiest person working in there. I was
literally opening the doors of El Sistema, and closing the building every single day. But
then… it's the violence, it’s the insecurity that you have right after you leave that place
just to go home; to go back home. So it's that the… the nervousness on: I'm gonna get
killed today, am I gonna get robbed today?
So, that started to… to get very loud in my mind: This is not okay. This is not right.
TRACK 11
Ana was living with a lot of anxiety, lack of sleep and nervousness.
ACTUALITY
Ana: As musicians, and also it's part of our culture, that we not only prepare mentally for
a concert, but as a woman we want to look nice, and every single show, every single
concert, it's recorded, and video and audio. So, in my case it was that fear.... you were
calling too much attention or, and you're just a random person, a single person walking
with your own right to walk on the street, without thinking that you, you can even get
killed.
[PLAY HISTOIRE DU TANGO
52
]
52
Histoire du Tango. 2018. Youtube video January 19, 2018. 8:24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx_QU6pAbKg
25
ACTUALITY
Ana: And I couldn't find the purpose in performing. And then right after the performance
that everything seems to be so perfect, so fine. After the performance, I will be just
extremely scared and shaking on my way back home.
TRACK 12
Then, a terrible thing happened during the street protest in Caracas in 2017.
ACTUALITY
Ana: One of our musicians, one student, he got killed in one of those protests. So, this
musician he was part of El Sistema. And that was devastating. They were all protesting
because they have the right to do so. And this was a teenager that got killed. And we all
saw those videos, all those images. It could be… could be me, it could have been any
of my students.
TRACK 13
For Ana’s family it felt like history repeating itself.
ACTUALITY
My whole family is from Colombia. And because of the violence in Colombia, they left
Colombia.
- We are talking about the 80s, correct?
26
- Correct.
[PLAY THE BBC NEWS
53
ABOUT COLOMBIA]
Five decades of civil war pitted the FARC and several other militant groups against the
government and each other, partly inspired by the Cuban Revolution. The FARC said
they represent the rights of the rural poor. Colombia bled more than two hundred and
twenty thousand people were killed and millions more displaced…
ACTUALITY
Ana: I feel bad for them. I feel bad for my dad. I feel bad for my mom. Because here's
the thing: They sacrifice so much. And they did everything with so much love. And they
work so, so hard. Olga, that now all of this happened in Venezuela.
[PLAY ELEGANTE GUAJIRA HERE]
TRACK 14
Chavez's critics acknowledge that he was a charismatic leader with a dynamic
personality, and a captivating speaker. But others say, at least at first, he was more
than that: a champion of Venezuela's poor.
ACTUALITY
Weyland: The old political parties were discredited, corruption was rampant. So, there
was a growing rejection of the status quo. People hated the existing system.
53
BBC News. 2016. “Rare look inside FARC rebel camp.” June 24, 2016. Youtube video 2:52.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eY-57TbKOY
27
TRACK 15
This is Kurt Weyland, professor at the University of Texas, who explains that in the
beginning of the 90’s, Venezuela had difficulties: inflation reached 100% and the political
parties were discredited.
ACTUALITY
Weyland: He was brilliant. He connected to the people. He was in their home. He was
like: the friend. And I mean, he has amazing charisma. He was politically brilliant in
convincing common people: I'm one of you. I'm fighting for you. The elite wants to
exploit you. I’m Hugo Chavez. They felt represented. They saw themselves in Hugo
Chavez. He was brilliant in that respect. But in governing, in policymaking: a disaster.
Money has been loaded and stolen, the oil has been mortgaged. A lot of the talented
people have been driven out and left. How do you rebuild? I think it's a terrible situation.
TRACK 16
Ana and her husband landed in San Diego in 2017. And little did she know that a
Facebook ad would lead her to join the U.S. Marine Corps.
ACTUALITY
They were looking for a flutist and a piccolos but for an audition to the Marine Corp. I
just said: Hey, Don’t look any more: I’m your flutist and I also play the piccolo. So, that’s
how everything started. I met them at the very next day, and that was so fascinating. It
28
was beautiful, motivating and I think that God just put me in that day, that specific day to
meet them because right after that day I met a whole new family, a whole new
supporting system and they’ve been like that with me since the very beginning and I’m
very thankful for that. So, I am proud to say that I am a Marine. It’s a very hard branch.
It’s not easy, and I am part of the two percent where yeah two percent are the female in
the Marine Corp.
[PLAY Marines Corps
54
Music]
TRACK 17
These are the journeys, realities, challenges and incredible paths of these two
musicians from the System of Orchestras of Venezuela, navigating their new lives in the
United States.
[PLAY CBS NEWS
55
]
“Celebrations on the streets of South Florida after the Biden Administration extends
Temporary Protective Status for Venezuelans exiles. The move is life-changing for as
many as 320 thousands eligible immigrants…”
TRACK 18
I asked Eva Moreno how she feels in the United States as an immigrant.
55
CBS Miami. 2021. “Venezuelans celebrate in Doral over Biden Administration’s over offer of Temporary Protected Status.”
March 9, 2021. Youtube video. 2:34 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP9Y25sWWBw
29
54
A Star Spangled Concert. Marine Band San Diego. July 4, 2021. MCRD San Diego. YouTube video 20:21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It1XK_GSl70
ACTUALITY:
Eva: After six years I felt at home. I’m so grateful. I don’t have words. It’s my home
now… and it’s my daughter’s home.
ACTUALITY
Jens: Venezuelan immigrants have been living in the US for less than 10 years. And this
reflects a lot of the economic and political conditions that we've seen over the past
decade or so in Venezuela, that is driving Venezuelans out of the country.
TRACK 19
This is Jens Manuel Krogstad, editor at the Pew Research Center, who estimates that
around 550 thousands of Venezuelans live in the US today.
ACTUALITY
Jens: Venezuelans have arrived in recent years within the last decade. So, what
happens to them in the future remains to be seen. It will be interesting to see what
happens with the hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan immigrants in the country.
[Play Eva Moreno
56
Music here]
SIGN-OFF
This is Olga Rojas
56
Moreno, Eva. 2021. “No words, just Try02.” Facebook. October 13, 2021
https://www.facebook.com/100041082261253/videos/307609277402955/
30
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37

Abstract (if available)

Abstract More than six million Venezuelans left their homeland in the last five years. To ponder this situation, imagine that all the inhabitants of the state of Maryland in the United States leave this country, or try to visualize that the entire population of Denmark flee that European nation.
In this thesis we investigate the social, political and economic conditions that have forced Venezuelans to flee their homes. This has been described as an unarmed conflict, and categorized as a conflict of political instability.
We take as an example a couple of Venezuelan musicians, firstly because it is a Podcast, and secondly, because one of the most recognized Venezuelans in the United States is Gustavo Dudamel, director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Two musicians shared their reasons why they are currently residing in North America.
A large amount of audiovisual material, from videos to concerts, was used to help contextualize the causes of this exodus.
Interviews were conducted with two professors, one in the United States and another one in Venezuela. In addition, the results of research carried out by other agencies, such as the Human Rights Watch and the Pew Research Center are shared in this thesis.

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The impact of gentrification on Hispanic communities in San Antonio

Asset Metadata

Creator Rojas, Olga (author)

Core Title Venezuelan musicians seeking a new path in the U.S.

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Journalism (Specialized Journalism)

Degree Conferral Date 2022-08

Publication Date 08/06/2022

Defense Date 08/05/2022

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag El Sistema,Gustavo Dudamel,Hugo Chavez,immigration,Jose Antonio Abreu,Nicolas Maduro,OAI-PMH Harvest,Venezuela

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Tolan, Andrew (Sandy) M. (committee chair), Seidenberg, Willa (committee member), Suro, Roberto (committee member)

Creator Email omrojass@hotmail.com,orojas@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC111376217

Unique identifier UC111376217

Legacy Identifier etd-RojasOlga-11117

Document Type Thesis

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Rojas, Olga

Type audio, texts

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright. The original signature page accompanying the original submission of the work to the USC Libraries is retained by the USC Libraries and a copy of it may be obtained by authorized requesters contacting the repository e-mail address given.

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu