Rafael Pollo Brito, born on November 14, 1971, in Caracas, Venezuela, is a versatile musician proficient in various instruments. His expertise includes the Venezuelan Cuatro and Oboe, while he also excels in playing string instruments like the Mandolin, Bass, and Guitar. Pollo possesses a remarkable ability to blend Afro-Venezuelan folk rhythms with pop elements and other musical innovations.
He embarked on his musical journey in the "National Youth Orchestra of the Miranda State," where he learned to play the Oboe. Additionally, he studied the Cuatro, Mandolin, and Guitar in the "San José Obrero Student Group" under the guidance of Professor Sabino Parra. He furthered his academic training at the "Juan José Landaeta National Conservatory" and the "Simón Bolívar Superior Conservatory of Music."
Pollo has been a Cuatrista in various Venezuelan music ensembles, including Saúl Vera and his ensemble, Pabellón sin baranda, Grupo Arcano, Claudia Calderón, Paul Desenne, Eddy Marcano, and many more.
In the realm of Gaita music, Pollo received extensive training from his adolescence through his participation in numerous Gaita groups. This background propelled him to become one of the most prominent Gaita performers. He was a member of groups like Nazarenos de la Gaita, Sabor en Gaita, la Trova Gaitera, Décima Gaitera, Guasinca Zuliana, Los Morillo, Grupo Ziruma, Maragaita, Orquesta Todos Estrellas, and Los Chiquinquireños, among others.
In the television industry, he served as a presenter on the Venezuelan program "Portada's" from 2009 to 2015. He also worked as a judge on "Yo sí canto" in 2012 and "TV Libre" in 2016.
In 2005, he made his solo debut with "Una casita bella para ti," an album that marked his rise as a solo artist. The album featured his rendition of the title track as the lead single.
He continued to release music, including "Se canta venezolano" in 2008, which featured collaborations with Oscar D'León on several tracks.
His third album, "Boleros en vivo" in 2009, was a compilation of 28 songs paying homage to great Bolero artists, with César Miguel Rondón as the connecting thread.
In 2013, he released "De repente," a collaborative album with the Venezuelan group C4 Trío. This release earned him the Latin Grammy Award for Best Recording in 2014, solidifying his status as one of Venezuela's best international performers. The album's leading single was "Yo sin ti no valgo nada," originally composed by Evio Di Marzo.
In 2014, he paid tribute to Tito Rodríguez with the album "Homenaje a Tito Rodríguez," and in 2015, he released "Pa' Tío Simón." Both albums were nominated for Best Tropical Album at the Latin Grammy Awards in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
In 2017, he introduced "Chamo candela," an original song by the Venezuelan musical group Daiquirí from the 1980s, with production by Robert Vilera.
In 2018, he released "Manzanero," a tribute album to the legendary bolero singer Armando Manzanero. The album featured 29 songs, with "Contigo aprendí" as the lead single, set to a Venezuelan merengue rhythm. The album included collaborations with renowned artists and musicians, all under Rafael Pollo Brito's production and arrangement guidance.
In the same year, he performed a concert in Mexico, invited by the maestro Armando Manzanero, where he delighted the audience with songs from the tribute album and his traditional repertoire.
In 2018, he embarked on his "Gaitero" concert tour from October to December.
In 2019, he released his most recent track, "¿Qué Sabrosa Es La Vida!" and held concerts with the same title in various U.S. cities.
He achieved resounding success as a key figure in the opera-bolero "En la vida hay amores," written by César Miguel Rondón alongside Cuban singer Lena Burke.
Pollo Brito has also produced several audiovisual works through the "Free Cover" project, with more than 53 million views on homages to Los Blanco, Billo, and Pastor López.
His audiovisual work has garnered over 15 million views for videos like "La parranda del Pollo," "La Rumba del Pollo," "Venezuela," and "Guaracha Rock."
In 2023, he once again made a presence in the nominations for the Latin Grammy and Grammy Awards, collaborating with Amigos Invisibles, Alemor, Tierra Adentro, and Tony Succar.
Rafael Pollo Brito is a consistent advocate for national talent and a promoter of the value of Venezuelan music and culture. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in Venezuelan music.
He has had the opportunity to share his music and talent with many national and international artists, including Simón Díaz, María Teresa Chacín, Cecilia Todd, Serenata Guayanesa, Gualberto Ibarreto, Ilan Chester, Frank Quintero, Franco de Vita, Oscar D'León, Lilia Vera, Soledad Bravo, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Albita Rodríguez, Aymeé Nuviola, Malena Burke, Diego "El Cigala," Bobby Valentín, Emmanuel, Felipe Peláez, Carángano, Argenis Carruyo, Tierra Adentro, Orquesta Los Blanco, Tony Succar, Alemor, Ed Calle, Renesito Avich, and many others.
Beyond Venezuelan borders, he has successfully introduced his music to countries such as the United States, Mexico, Japan, Hong Kong, Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Peru, Guatemala, Chile, Honduras, Cuba, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Spain, Panama, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Belgium, and Switzerland.
