Los Llaneros (Los Yah-NEH-Ros) bring to the stage the often energetic and sometimes haunting melodies of the Colombian/Venezuelan Llanos or plains that surround the vast basin of the Orinoco River in South America. The Llanos is a geographically and culturally unique and little known area of Latin America, and its music evolved from the contact between nomadic Indians and Jesuit settlers five hundred years ago. Due to the distinctly characteristic syncopations and difficult harp techniques used in the music of the Llanos, it is rarely performed in its authentic style outside the region, and hence it remains one of Latin America’s best kept secrets. The ensemble was founded in 1978 and consists of Karin Stein (Colombian), Edgar East (Panamanian), and René Devia (Colombian). All three artists have performed internationally for twenty to thirty years, both as members of Los Llaneros, as well as with other ensembles and as soloists. Los Llaneros often tour as a quartet, adding an additional Llanero musician whenever possible. Los Llaneros have won several awards at international music competitions held in Latin America. René Devia, the ensemble’s harpist, is recognized as one of Colombia’s foremost specialists in Llanero music. He has recorded numerous albums as a soloist, many of them under the Sony label, and won several prizes for his compositions. In 2005, he was given the “Golden Centaur” (Centauro de Oro) award, which is the highest recognition extended by the Colombian government to Colombian artists. Karin Stein, artistic director of Los Llaneros, has gained notoriety for her voice and her compositions. In 2004 one of her albums received a Parents’ Choice “Recommended” Award in the U.S.A. Edgar East, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and arranger, has gained notoriety for his arrangements of Latin music for salsa and Latin jazz bands, school orchestras, and marching bands.