Paraguay musicians bring instruments made from trash, message of hope to Bay Area

By Andrea Nakano

We’ve all heard the saying, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Well, a youth orchestra from Paraguay is proof that is truly the case.

The Recycled Orchestra of Cateura takes kids from the slums of the country’s capital and provides them with instruments and opportunity. And the instruments are unlike any other seen on this planet.

Johann Kajatt is one of the musicians from the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura.

“We’re so grateful we can be here because it’s a wonderful experience,” Kajatt said. “Sharing our culture, experiences of our people is something that we love to do.”

They are from an area on the outskirts of Paraguay’s capital, Cateura. It’s home to the area’s landfill where 3000 tons of trash are dumped every day. But that trash has transformed into this.

“Here, for example, we have the back part of the spoon to hold the finger right,” Kajatt said.

They use wine corks, sardine cans and other garbage to make all their instruments, from saxophones to drums and violins.

“The top of the instrument is made of a paint can, the back is a pizza pan or you can make cookies on the sheet,” Luana Rojas said.

They have performed at schools and other venues during their tour of the Bay Area. Favio Chavez was an environmental engineer and is now the director of the orchestra.

“The world sends us garbage and we return music,” Chavez said.

Chavez says many of these students come from the toughest of circumstances, and music gives them the ability to dream and build a future.

“Even in these places, we have to open our eyes and see that even good possibilities and dreams could come out of it,” Chavez said through a translator. “As Favio says, there is no throwaway people, and there is no planet to throw away because there is only one planet.”

Some of these musicians have received scholarships to continue their music careers outside of their home country. It all started by spending months gathering trash and fine-tuning their instruments.

“It is a dream to play the violin,” Rojas said. “From when I was young, I always dreamed about being able to play but because I could not afford the violin, and there is no place for it, being able to join the orchestra enabled me to realize my dream and play the violin.”

While they are entertaining crowds and sharing their love of music, there is another message they are spreading with each note they play.

“If you really want to do something. You have to fight for it,” Kajatt said. “Give all that you have to make it, and remember that it is possible. When you have a dream, you have to know that it is possible. The only limitation is you.”