Sonidos de Paraquaria - Jungle Baroque (2017)

UNESCO’s ‘Artist for Peace’ Luis Szarán directs rediscovered music When the missionaries of the Jesuit Order were expelled from South America 250 years ago, this act ended a fascinating period of cultural richness. The missionaries left behind a remarkable social structure, which has been recognised to a large extent as part of UNESCO’s world heritage program. And they brought their music with them when they came to the jungle. There, the missionaries encountered passionate musicians, giving new life to their musical heritage. Violins, harps, and even the first organ of South America were built in the so-called reducciones (reductions). European models amalgamated with indigenous musicality: music became a means of communication and a core element of cultural identity. JUNGLE BAROQUE delves into this fascinating world of South American Baroque music. Recorded at the historic reduction church of Santa María de Fe (Paraguay), the CD unites rediscovered treasures by Jesuit masters such as the Swiss missionary Martin Schmid, Domenico Zipoli, and indigenous composers. Luis Szarán is a UNESCO ‘Artist for Peace’, highly acclaimed as a conductor, and a specialist for jungle Baroque. ‘Sonidos de Paraquaria’ is an ensemble of young Paraguayan musicians, dedicated to the rediscovered works from the Jesuit reducciones.