Reinaldo Moya Composer

Program Notes

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María Lionza is the central figure in one of Venezuela’s most important and widespread syncretic religions. She is sometimes called Yara, an indigenous alternative name.

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This work is inspired by the various legends and names surrounding one of Venezuela’s most enduring figures — a powerful symbol of the country’s diverse origins, its connection to nature, and the celebration of a formidable female deity.

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1. The Girl with the Eyes the Color of Water

This movement is inspired by the myth of María Lionza, according to indigenous sources from the 15th and 16th centuries. The music closely follows the story beats, creating an exciting and enchanting sound world:

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In the Nirgua District of Venezuela, locals tell a legend rooted in the beliefs of the Jirajara Indians, later influenced by Spanish and African cultures. It tells of a prophecy warning that a girl with water-colored eyes would be born and, upon seeing her reflection, would unleash a monstrous anaconda — the spirit of the lagoon — leading to the destruction of the Nívar people.

Years later, such a girl is born to a tribal chief. Though the tribe demands her sacrifice to the lagoon’s guardian, the chief hides her in secret, guarded by twenty-two warriors. She grows into a beautiful, mysterious maiden, forbidden from ever seeing her reflection.

One day, under the serpent’s influence, the guardians fail in their duty. The maiden wanders to the lagoon, sees her reflection, and awakens the serpent. Transfixed, she falls into the water as the serpent emerges. The resulting flood devastates the Nívar tribe. The serpent grows so large that it eventually explodes — its body said to stretch across Venezuela, from Sorte to Lake Tacarigua.

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Summary of the myth as told by Gilberto Antolínez, via El Universal newspaper, Venezuela, May 6, 1945.

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2. The Mystery of Sorte Mountain

Sorte Mountain is the center of the María Lionza myth and cult. This mysterious site is a major pilgrimage destination for followers of her religion. The peak is said to have been formed from the exploding anaconda of the legend.

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The music in this movement depicts the evocative and mystical atmosphere of the mountain. The second half is reminiscent of quitiplás, a style of drumming often heard in the region. The movement ends enigmatically — no clear answer is given. We merely witness the site for a brief time before continuing our journey.

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3. María Alonzo / María de la Onza

Since the early 20th century, two versions of María Lionza’s origin have circulated: The Spanish-origin version: This portrays her as a Spanish colonial landowner, a wealthy woman in possession of

morocotas or onzas (old Spanish gold coins). She is often depicted as a 19th-century white lady with green eyes.

 

The Indigenous-origin version: In this version, her name is linked to the feline that accompanies her — the onza or jaguar.

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The music in this movement represents these competing versions of the myth by juxtaposing two musical styles: the fandango (a 19th-century Spanish genre representing the Spanish version of the myth) and the joropo (a traditional style from the Venezuelan plains representing the Indigenous variation). Indeed, musicologists have noted that the joropo is derived from the fandango.

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A pseudo-baroque introduction prepares us for the fandango, presented elegantly at first, before the joropo begins to interrupt the proceedings. The wild and raucous joropo takes over, and the two musical genres battle it out for supremacy, resulting in a vibrant, surprising, and high-spirited finale.