The Guarani voices of the Palmarito Choir and Orchestra make themselves felt again

Twelve years have passed since the first presentation at the Baroque Music Festival by the Palmarito-Santa Rosa Choir and Orchestra, a group made up of children and young people from the Guarani communities of Palmarito (in the municipality of Gutiérrez in Santa Rosa) and Santa Rosa (belonging to the Chuquisaca municipality of Villa Huacaya).

In recent days, the 42 members of this musical project once again let their voices be heard in different presentations and today they will do so at the San Roque church, at 9:00 p.m., in a co-production with the British Royal College of Music Baroque Orchestra.

Until last year, Adelina Anori was the director of the choir and orchestra, but she changed course, and after a consensus between the musicians and teachers from both Santa Rosa and Palmarito, it was decided that Heriberto Paredes would take charge of the first group and Arturo Cuéllar of the second.

Opportunity

Paredes, violin teacher, commented that for all the members this new participation is very special. “First because the pandemic did not let us participate in the previous edition that was suspended; and second, because after Adelina left, the rest of the teachers got to work to carry out this project,” Paredes said.

Paredes was also in charge of the direction of the group, the other teachers dedicated themselves to the choir and the orchestra. “It’s a joint effort,” Paredes stressed. They have been preparing intensely for this festival, they had most of the repertoire ready last year, and this year they resumed it since February.

The Palmarito-Santa Rosa delegation is made up of two first violins, two second violins, two cellos and 36 choristers.

Paredes says that music helps a lot to the children of these communities, each of them with approximately 500 inhabitants. “You see the changes in the boys, in their way of thinking and in their way of seeing for the benefit of the community, they want to improve themselves in different areas where they have a greater inclination, with music as a base,” Paredes mentioned.

For his part, Arturo Cuéllar, who coordinates the Palmarito musicians, said that “the boys feel safer when expressing themselves, they sing it or they express themselves through their instrument.” Cuéllar was born in Palmarito, graduated as a violin teacher at the Urubichá Institute of Music and returned to his community to teach what he learned to new musicians.

Repertoire

The repertoire presented at this festival comes from the Musical Archive of Chiquitos and constitutes the most representative music program of the old Jesuit reductions of Chiquitos. One of the pieces they present is the Santa Ana mass, one of the six masses composed by Bassani found there. They will also play JJI Brentner’s Cantemus Domino. They have also included two works in Guaraní, such as A ché Angele (17th century) and Ave María by Ennio Morriconne.

Data

Director

Heriberto Paredes Guiramusay, was born in the community of Ivo, region of the Chaco Chuquisaqueño. He began his musical studies self-taught at the age of 13. In 2008, Paredes received musical training at the Urubichá Choir and Orchestra Comprehensive Training Institute (in the Guarayos province) graduating as a Medium Technician in Music with a specialty in violin.

Experience

The Palmarito Choir and the Urubichá Orchestra participated in the Amazon Synod held in the Vatican, also participating in the mass officiated by Pope Francis.

Scenes&Culture

APAC

for today

in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

19:00

The Orphans Chapel: Nadja Zwiener (Germany)

21:00

San Roque Church: Royal College of Music Baroque Orchestra and Choir and Palmarito Orchestra (United Kingdom/Bolivia)

4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Plurinational Culture Center: Guarani Dance by the Palmarito Choir and Orchestra (Bolivia)

in Porongo