The first part of Alma Llanera is inspired on the waltz Marisela by composer Sebastian Díaz Peña from Venezuela, while the second part of Alma Llanera is inspired on the waltz Mita by the Curaçaon composer Jan Gerard Palm (1831-1906). The title refers to the Llaneros, the herders of Venezuela and Colombia whose culture is part of these countries' popular imagery. The llanero culture is at the root of the joropo, firstly as a dance and then as a musical genre.