Amidst the debates of elitism and tradition in classical music, some artists are cutting through all of that, taking action to spread classical music in a way that celebrates their national heritage and gender pride!
Berta Rojas, an internationally celebrated classical guitarist, strives to put her homeland of Paraguay on the map in the music world.
Her latest album, in collaboration with 11-time Grammy winner Paquito D’Rivera, was released on May 15. The album features 12 tracks that pay homage to Paraguay.
“Paraguay, I believe, is still unknown outside of Paraguay,” she said, explaining the pride and dedication she feels to her country. “Music of Paraguay is something that opens your desire to learn more about this beautiful country.”
Rojas hopes that through her music, she can spark an intrigue that will bring attention to Paraguay.
The name of her album, which is available on Amazon.com and iTunes, is “Dia y Media,” or “A Day and a Half.”
The album has led to an extensive international tour, one that includes stops in Korea, Paraguay, Colombia, Panama, and Taiwan. The Paraguay stop lasted nearly two days, because Rojas believed a single day was not enough — hence the title of her album.
Being a female in a male-dominated field, Rojas sees her unique position as an advantage.
“We bring something different to the field,” she said, in reference to her gender, “Women play with a sensitivity that probably only belongs to us.”
Read the full story: With Classical Music Berta Rojas Puts Paraguay on the Map.
Other stories from the classical music world
- Don Campbell, an authority on the transformative power of music and author of 23 books (including The Mozart Effect), died recently from pancreatic cancer at the age of 65.
- A couple weeks ago we ran a feature Daily Bow on works premiered during the Spoleto Festival. An interesting piece in a NYTimes blog also looked at the Spoleto Festival, but more specifically at chamber music, and how it still seems to remain the “underdog” of classical performances.
- The Spanish embassy in Ghana organized a Latin American classical recital for audiences in Accra, much to their delight!
- The Young Musicians Foundation recently selected Roger Kalia as New Music Director & Conductor
- Unfortunately it seems that classical music isn’t free of scam artists. Austrian prosecutors have filed charges against the world’s leading expert on Stradivari – who lived in a castle and had a fleet of luxury cars including two Rolls-Royces – with what is believed to be the world’s biggest ever musical fraud.
No comments yet.