Hernán Gamboa was born in 1946 in the town of San Tomé in eastern Venezuela. He learned to play cuatro, guitar, and other stringed instruments from his father, Carmito Gamboa, who was renowned as a trovador or singer of improvised commentary. Since his father worked in the oil industry and traveled throughout Venezuela, Hernán was exposed to many Venezuelan musical traditions. He specialized in the cuatro and became a skilled arranger and performer, developing a trademark “strum-picked” technique (rascapunteo) for the instrument.

In 1970 Gamboa was one of the founders of the well-known vocal group Serenata Guayanesa, which toured across Venezuela and overseas. He played cuatro and sang baritone with the group for fifteen years.

In Miami, Gamboa worked for several years as the Cultural Attaché for the Venezuelan Consulate. Today he is considered the leading Venezuelan cuatro virtuoso. He has raised the cuatro to the status of a solo instrument for the concert stage and has greatly expanded its musical potential. During his 40-year musical career, Gamboa has composed or arranged more than 200 works, has made over 35 recordings, and has performed in over 60 countries in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

Tributo CD.