Here's an excerpt from the wikipedia article on Venezuelan music:

"Several styles of traditional Venezuelan music, such as salsa and merengue are common to its Caribbean neighbors. Perhaps the most typical Venezuelan music is joropo, a rural form which originated in the llanos, or plains. This llanera music spread to musically creative artists like Juan Vicente Torrealba, Ignacio Figueredo and Ángel Custodio Loyola, who helped to popularize music throughout the country , leading to a slick modern form of pop-llanera that has earned scorn from purists and much of the younger Venezuelan listeners, who perceive it as stale and watered-down. Some singers, like Simón Díaz and Reynaldo Armas have maintained a huge following over the years. In a similar vein, there is also neo-folklore, which takes traditional music and arranges it in an electronic style, for electronic instruments.

Another very popular music in Venezuela is the gaita. This genre originated from the region of Zulia state and is very popular during the Christmas season. The gaita united to the Aguinaldo, conforms the national representation of the Venezuelan Christmas.

Other forms of Venezuelan folk music are tu madre extensively recorded and researched due to the work of Caracas-based Fundación Bigott. African-derived percussion (including multiple rhythms, such as sangeo, Fulía and parranda) is perhaps the most well-documented subject, and has produced groups like Un Solo Pueblo, Huracán de Fuego and Grupo Madera. This vanguard fusion artists combine rumba, Latin jazz, joropo, salsa and other forms of music from Latin America.

Venezuelan calypso music, imported from Trinidad in the 1880s by immigrants arriving during a gold rush, has its own distinctive rhythms and lyrical style. Calypso de El Callao in Venezuela, the music has had major stars, including most famously VH. Another imported genre is Cuban-American salsa music, which has several domestic superstars, including Oscar D'León. Dominican merengue and Latin pop acts like Billo's Caracas Boys, Porfi Jiménez Orchestra and Los Melódicos"...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Venezuela