Little Red Cap Visits Central America

BY: MANUEL MATARRITA

Beginnings

It is a typical Saturday afternoon. Like many teenagers of his generation, Ignacio (aka “Nacho”) is visiting one of the most popular shopping malls in his native Guatemala City. We could imagine he would be browsing around the building, window shopping, or getting a snack in the food court, like any boy his age. We would have not anticipated that he is actually there rehearsing with a small choir and chamber orchestra—despite his changing voice—for an upcoming performance of a children's opera about Little Red Riding Hood (“Caperucita Encarnada” in its original Spanish title), written over a century ago by Costa Rican composer Julio Fonseca. In the midst of dinosaur shows for kids and hundreds of people anxious to regain their social lives post-pandemic, Nacho is in one of the most vacant spaces of the mall, enjoying one of his favorite things: singing.. And this is how he relates to other people: through music.

Indeed, this is not Nacho’s first experience participating in an opera. In 2018, he took part in a production of Puccini's La Bohéme as a member of the children’s choir. Now as an 18-year-old, he will play the role of The Hunter in Fonseca’s piece. These opportunities have been possible because of Querido Arte (Beloved Art), an organization which ultimately aims to establish a permanent opera season in Guatemala with the vision of becoming regional leaders of opera production and launching local creativity to an international level.

Promotional poster for children´s opera “Caperucita encarnada” to be presented July 3, 2022. Image courtesy of María José Morales (Querido Arte)

Opera in Guatemala: A Post-War Challenge

Although Guatemala once had a long lasting tradition of opera productions, this type of activity was unfortunately interrupted for more than 35 years because of the Civil War (1960-1996). As an expected consequence, nowadays there is a substantial shortage of voice teachers, vocal coaches, and piano accompanists in the country, as I learned from several musicians I had the opportunity to exchange impressions with during my visit. Heber Morales, a Guatemalan pianist involved for many years with the operatic movement in the country, describes this process in his research “Opera in times of war: Two decades of dramatic productions in Guatemala” (2017). This crisis has made it difficult to establish a steady and lasting local operatic school and industry, resulting in a lack of orchestras that can facilitate the production of full scale operas. As a rising opera company, Querido Arte unites skilled Guatemalan youth in pursuit of making art together, serving as a way to create a national identity and to improve the artistic level of each participant. 

However, tenor Mario Chang and his wife Maria Jose Morales (who founded the organization in 2008) noticed a major obstacle in the Guatemalan music education system that had, and continues to have, a direct impact on the possibilities of producing opera. There is no educational music platform or institution in the country that serves as a link between the basic instrumental music instruction (elementary to high school) and the more advanced music instruction (universities, colleges, and conservatories) or professional practice. In addition, music as a subject in basic education has been dramatically reduced to classes that meet only a few months a year, as a “non-essential subject.”, according to Chang. Hence, there is a deficit of professional musicians and singers in the country.

In an attempt to fill this gap, Querido Arte has fostered orchestral ensembles (which already undertake the performances of pieces such as symphonies by Mozart and Beethoven), several choirs, an opera studio, and a piano class, among several other initiatives. By creating a platform that not only presents productions (including complete operas, concert galas, oratorios, and recitals), but also provides consistent preparation and experiences through orchestra/choral studies and vocal coachings, the organization develops comprehensive musical projects with young Guatemalan artists.

The Pivotal Role of Music

Under the slogan of “Transforming Guatemala,” the organization truly develops comprehensive musical projects with young Guatemalan artists that positively impact their culture and society, cultivating creative transformation through music. I had the opportunity to work with them in workshops for several days, in all of the ensembles, coaching the singers and choirs, offering masterclasses to the piano students, but especially advising the staging and musical direction of Fonseca´s opera. The enthusiasm of mentors, teachers, adult students, but especially that of the young students and their parents, was overwhelmingly tangible. Once again, music proves to be a cohesive element that promotes teamwork, sensitizes people, and creates unforgettable moments of wonder. I kept thinking about how Nacho will soon become an adult who will have a high sense of appreciation for the arts and how they impact his role in society or even how he might become a professional artist who continues the legacy of the organization and enacts valuable change in Guatemala’s cultural ecosystem.

Rehearsal in Majadas Mall, Guatemala, June 2022. Photo courtesy of María José Morales (Querido Arte)

About the Author
The versatility in his work as a musician and artist is one of the most outstanding characteristics of Manuel Matarrita (b. 1972, San José, Costa Rica). Manuel offers a wide range of activities as a soloist, collaborating musician, teacher, artistic promoter, composer and researcher. He is currently a Full Professor of the School of Music and the Director of the Arts Graduate Program of the University of Costa Rica. He is the Founding Director of the “Encuentro de Pianistas Costa Rica”, an annual event held in San José since 2014. A Doctor of Musical Arts, Manuel studied at the University of Costa Rica, the University of New Orleans and Louisiana State University. Manuel is part of the 2022 Cohort of The Global Leaders Program.