Despite its small size and gentle sound, the Venezuelan cuatro has a powerful influence in its homeland. Resembling a ukelele, but with character and playing technique vastly different this four-stringed instrument can yield an amazing variety of tone in the hands a a great player.

One of the greatest cuatristas today is Hernan Gamboa, who has made it his personal mission to bring this simple folk instrument into the international limelight. His amazing skill and unique "rasgapunteo" technique (he created this technique at fifteen) has given him the opportunity to form new partnerships with other musicians, leading him to write hundreds of unique arrangements and even a score for cuatro and orchestra. His technique consists of a particular way to play the instrument through the melody, the harmony and the rhythm at the moment of performing a composition. This technique actually has numerous followers in Venezuela as well as other parts of the world.The most notable being is his brother Noel Gamboa and his godson, Cheo Hurtado, Hernan’s son, Hernán José and Rodrigo are also following the family tradition in music, playing several instruments each.

After breaking off from the renowned group Serenata Guayanesa (where he performed lead voice & cuatro), he pursued a solo career.

Four decades of performing and writing have resulted in concerts in over 60 countries, almost 200 works of music composed and arrangement, more than 35 recordings as soloist and accompanied, and honors from his homeland, including an appointment as Cultural Attache for the Venezuelan Consulate in Miami.

More about Hernan Gamboa can be found at wikipedia

He has given concerts and appeared in numerous festivals, theaters and Universities like Royal Albert Hall – London, England; Teatro Monumental – Madrid, Spain; Teatro Sao Luiz – Lisboa, Portugal; Kennedy Center–Washington, U.S.A.; Teatro General San Martin - Teatro Opera, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Teatro Teresa Carreño  y Nacional – Caracas, Venezuela; Teatro Jorge Eliécer Gaitán – Bogotá, Colombia; Teatro de la UNAM – Mexico City, Mexico; Gussman Hall – Miami, Florida U.S.A.;James L. Knight Center - Miami, Florida, U.S.A.; Teatro de la Unesco – Paris, France; Teatro San Leone Magno – Roma, Italy; Teatro Cesc Ipiranga – Sao Paulo, Brazil; The Wertheim Performing Arts Center, FIU – Miami, Florida U.S.A. and  festivals as   Latin Grammy Festival – U.S.A.; Festival of Cuatro in his Honor – Los Teques, Venezuela; Festival de Cosquin – Córdoba, Argentina; Festival 100 Years of Miami. U.S.A.; Latin American Festival IAEDEN – Washington, DC U.S.A.; As Extranhas Cordas Latinas – Sao Paulo, Brazil; Festival Quinto Centenario – Houston, Texas, U.S.A.; Latin American Festival – Indianapolis – U.S.A. Through these he shares the stage with well-known artists such as:  Joan Manuel Serrat, Facundo Cabral,  Atahualpa Yupanqui,  Mercedes Sosa,  Chick Corea,  George Benson,  Susana Rinaldi,  Ramón Navarro,  León Gieco, Gerardo Núñez,  Sebastian Tapajos,  Mario Cases,  Eduardo Falú,  Jaime Torres,  Nana Muscouri,  Libertad Lamarque, to mention some.

"Cuerdas de America" is a DVD, where he plays in trio with Lucho Gonzalez (Peruvian guitar player) and  Jaime Torres (Argentinean charango player), performing passionate, original folk music from South America close to the history of their three different countries & instruments including a live show and a  documentary movie about their instruments and their musical roots.

"Delighted, like whenever I listen to Hernán Gamboa, I have enjoyed a new group works that are true jewels, selected with great taste and executed with great mastery, in where it is possible to be admired with his spirit of self-improvement and the achievements of this extraordinary guayanes, with an instrument with few possibilities as the Cuatro,

that in his hands grows and it satisfies the most demanding persons."

DON ANTONIO LAURO Musician, Guitarist, Composer

"Hernán Gamboa is a phenomenal case, and like so, let’s feel privileged to the power of attending an emotional impact caused by a superb artist" JESUS SOTO  Kinetic Artist