Jesus Rodriguez, 1947-

Venezuelan harp player Jesús Rodríguez immigrated to the United States in 1973 after visiting Washington, DC, with the Venezuelan embassy to play harp. He has enriched Florida culture by sharing his unique traditions through performances and apprenticeships. Many varieties of harp thrive throughout Venezuela, Paraguay, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Mexico. In Venezuela, the celebratory joropo, with its regional variations, is perhaps the most prominent type of traditional music from los llanos, or the plains.