Anselmo López (musician)

Anselmo López (April 21, 1934 – February 14, 2016) was one of the most important bandola llanera players in Venezuela. He is the creator of the Jalao (Spanish for "pull") technique, which applies a technique derived from the classical guitar to the bandola llanera. In the jalao, the thumb and index fingers hold the plectrum to pick the melody, while the nail of the index or middle finger, or sometimes the plectrum itself, is used to pluck harmonic notes in the chord of the melody on the adjacent strings. With this technique, Anselmo López popularized the bandola nationally and internationally. He recorded several albums.

Anselmo López, who also goes by the name of “el Rey de la Bandola” (The King of the Bandolas), breathed new life into the Bandola with his playing style. He was the inventor of the “segundeo” technique, a special technique only applied only to the Bandola Llanera.

La Escuela Anselmera (the Anselmo School) is now considered as a typical traditional style of Bandola playing.