Upcycled Instruments of Cateura, Paraguay

Cateura; where people reside on top of a landfill that has 1500 tons of solid waste every day. 

 An impecunious community that is constantly exposed to an unhealthy environment. 

The people face daily challenges and tribulations. Each day is lived in faith not knowing where the next meal might come from. 

But where there is Love and Compassion, there is Hope!  

A few people have made a difference. 

Favio Chavez took the bull by the horns and inspired the local children to transform their lives with music.  Students learn many of the classics like Beethoven and Mozart and also perform in the youth orchestra. 

The Unique: Their instruments are made from recycled material gathered from the local landfill. 
More Amazing:  The children are quite talented. 
Equally: The instruments they play on are quite divine. 

All the instruments are upcycled from the landfill. They are made from bottle caps, old forks, oven trays, paint cans and industrial waste. Although,the violins are made from scrap metal, they make the most heavenly sound!  Drums are often made from old paint cans and other upcyled materials. Even recycled electric guitars are created.

While Chavez teaches music, Nicolás Gómez helps construct the instruments. Gómez, a former carpenter, travels to the Cateura landfill three times a week to find material to upcycle. With an electric saw, Gómez custom builds the violins from metal oven trays and forms the cellos from oil barrels. The make the neck of string instruments, old strips of wood called pale are used.

Headlines 

Child Orchestra from Cateura featured on 60 Minutes

Landfill Harmonic Documentary by Alejandra Nash & Juliana Penaranda-Loftus

 “The world sends us garbage. We send back music"

Michael Gavshon, the producer of 60 minutes, recently visited the child orchestra of Cateura. He emphasized that the most beautiful instrument was a cello. 

Gavshon adds that the body of the cello was created from an old oil barrel. It had tuning knobs made from a hairbrush, wooden spoon and the heel of a woman's shoe.  

Nicolás Gómez

Currently, the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura is on a worldwide tour. They recently toured in Germany last September along with many other European countries. They are also booked for a private performance in Washington D.C. And to boot, on August 27^th they are performing at the Millenium Stage of the Kennedy Center. 

The Upcycle Cause

There are 30 members in the youth orchestra. The education program has around 100 members. The education program not only teaches music but it also teaches the children how to build and repair musical instruments. This skill helps them earn money which so they can to continue to support their families and continue their education. Additionally, utilizing upcycled materials in a town filled with garbage inspires novelty and environmental mindfulness in a community which greatly needs it. 

If you would like to help sustain the members for another year.  Click Here

Picture Credit

Horn:  Landfill Harmonic on Facebook
Nicolás Gómez: GO Campaign