Spotted: From Venezuela with Love

Urska Jaksa

Apr 1, 2020

Music hero of the month: Anays Rodriguez

After Alan shared his gems in March, he’s passing the torch to Anays, who comes from the capital of the state of Falcón in Venezuela and has been with Viberate for two years. She’s regularly among the Top 10 contributors of the month, currently holding the rank of Legendary Contributor. When asked about tips for other contributors, she introduces an unlikely accomplice: “I’m a housewife and I have a 7-year-old girl, Alexa, and an almost 2-year-old boy, Axel. When my daughter is on the computer watching her videos on YouTube, there are ads that almost always include something about an artist. Alexa takes notes of those artists and then I check them in the Viberate database. I have a teammate, and this method has proven to be quite useful.”

“I’ve seen the contributor chart, and they are really at home, doing their tasks and contributing their grain of sand."

Being home-bound brings a lot of challenges: “The pandemic has reached a country that is trying to stay afloat. This situation is not easy, but we must overcome it. That's why I do my job, happy and relaxed, with a little music to free my mind.” She's also noticed that her compatriots have been busier online than before: “I’ve seen the contributor chart, and they are really at home, doing their tasks and contributing their grain of sand. There are nicknames that I hadn’t seen in previous months, so the competition is tough. They're doing the most with their time.”

Top 5: Picks and thoughts

We won’t quote any scientific research here, but we’re fairly confident that music really can make a tough time easier. “During the contribution process, I've listened to a lot of good artists from abroad, especially from Spain. I’d like to point out every single artist I’ve added, but it would be far too long a list,” says Anays while introducing her greatest finds. 

1. Guitarricadelafuente

“Un jovencito en Espana,” as Anays would say – or "a young man from Spain", for those whose Spanish doesn’t go beyond “¿Dónde está la biblioteca?”: “His voice and catchy melodies capture my attention.” 

2. La Fúmiga

“To raise my spirits. They manage to transmit the feeling of adrenaline and joy, even though they don’t sing in Spanish. And that's the magic of music.”

3. Perdido Godot

“Pop Rock with something psychedelic. Guitars keep up the power.”

4. Fito of Gouveia

“Supporting national talent. To keep the party going, I’m putting Fito on at full blast. 😊”

5. Judah Holiday

“A little bit of Pop every day – I’ll finish the list with Judah Holiday.”

The tracks that stayed

Is it even possible to explore the world of music without listening to some bangers in the background? Well, not really: “The songs that I listen to on a daily basis are mostly children's songs my son listens to. The rest of them are on my playlist when I’m working, and here are the ones that have stayed.” Let’s get to know Anays through the tracks that have endured the test of time.

1. Greeicy, Juanes – Minifalda: “Reggaeton is not a genre I lean towards, because generally, the lyrics are sexist. But this one I really like, because it emphasizes putting yourself in an important position as a woman.”

2. David Bisbal – Antes que no: “It’s from 2016, but its message is positive. I’ve listened to it so much that even my daughter knows the lyrics.”

3. David Bisbal, Greeicy – Perdón: “This song is stuck in my mind. Accompanied by Spanish guitars, it’s a great combination.”

4. Enrique Bunbury – Hombre de acción: “It’s a new song by this Spanish singer, who is my favorite. Throughout his career, he’s made Rock music in his own way, and I like that. He keeps reinventing himself and does it well. As long as he doesn’t make a Reggaeton song! 😄”

5. Backstreet Boys – Chances: “I'm sorry, the years will pass, but I'll keep listening to them. I'm a faithful fan.”

6. Lucía Gil – Volveremos a brindar: “This is the first song I heard about the state of mind we are in due to the coronavirus, quarantine, being separated from our loved ones, and the effect that this has.”

Inside secrets

“Viberate is as deep as the sea – the numbers and the music never end,” she tells us: “Now, we also get lists to edit the artists, places, and festivals with which each user feels the most comfortable. Everyone has taken advantage of this initiative and this new way of curating the database, which is infinite.”

“This is 'my job', which I care for and appreciate. I’m at home with my children and I can help my family.”

While contributing, she turns to Facebook a lot – she can’t reveal all her secrets, but here are a couple of other methods she uses to be productive in her work: “I see the posters of the festivals where promising new music acts are presented. I've come across many that weren’t in the database. To get points immediately, I recommend adding events. That allows you to earn points immediately and see your progress.”

Today, these last two tips can prove less fruitful, given that the outbreak of Covid-19 has stopped all live music events. We’ve been deprived of concerts in recent weeks, and news of canceled and postponed festivals hit us every day. On the bright side, there have never been so many livestreams of our favorite musicians to enjoy. What's more, there's never been a better opportunity to use the extra time and put your music knowledge to use, collect points and badges, and earn some goodies in the process. 

If you also want to share the healing power of music, register and join our music community. Find all the information you need here.

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To track which music festivals have been postponed or canceled, go to Sickfestivals.com. 

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