Mario Montenegro visits the children of Laguna de Apoyo Part I

Mario Montenegro is a local Nicaraguan artist, singer, songwriter, children's story writer, and painter. He was born poor and humble, and he has dedicated his art to themes of the children. As can be seen in the videos here, he has a special communication with children. Estacion Biologica arranged an activity with our local school, Escuela Luis Alfonso Velasquez, where he sang and told stories for the children, with themes that relate to the kids. His music has themes especially for children. Here are a few of the videos we took from the event, more will be loaded soon. We hope you enjoy them.

The students of Escuela Luis Alfonso Velasquez are poor, rural children, whose parents are caretakers for properties of wealthy people in Laguna de Apoyo. These children don't go to the movies or the mall. Their parents don't take them rollerskating or to play organized sports.

Mario Montenegro knows how to make the children smile and even to get them jumping. We are appreciative of his attention and care for the poor children of our local school. He was accompanied in his visit by students of the Laguna de Apoyo Spanish Language School and volunteers from Estacion Biologica, who also enjoying his music and stories and the opportunity to share with the children of our area.
Supporting the education of poor, rural Nicaraguans is part of our mandate at Gaia, and through our offices at Estacion Biologica, we have participated in several activities to widen and deepen the experience of our young student neighbors. When you visit Nicaragua, please remember that many children do not have sufficient resources for a good education. We, like many organizations, channel donations to our local school. We recommend that you bring with you pencils and other school supplies, books in Spanish, and backpacks to donate. We also are seeking a long-term intern to work with the local students in environmental education activities. If you are interested, please contact us.

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Yo soy de un pueblo sencillo: Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy

Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy composed this tribute to the people of Nicaragua. Born in Somoto and always composing and singing folk music, he brought to Nicaragua an important contribution to the Nueva Cancion movement, in which testimonial music set to accessible, simple musical styles told the stories of the humility and suffering of the people of Nicaragua, in a way which honors and dignifies them. In this song, the mystical connection of corn, the ancestral food of the indigenous people, becomes a source of sustenance and a symbol of resistance to the aggressions of the US government against a people struggling to determine their own destiny. Nicaraguan music has taken a grand direction through his contributions in songs such as this one, which carried the sentiments of suffering and resistance for a generation of people during the Nicaraguan Revolution.

Yo Soy de un Pueblo Sencillo

I am from a small people

little like a sparrow.

With half a century of dreams,

of shame and of courage.

I am from a simple people,

Like the name "Juan",

Like the love I give you,

Like the love you give me.

I'm from a people born

Of rifle and song.

Who, from so much suffering

Have so much to teach.

Brother of so many people

That they have tried to separate.

Because they know that we are small,

But together, we are a volcano.

I am from a people of poets,

Whose verses were written

On walls and on doors

With blood, rage and love.

I am from a proud people

Of a thousand lost battles

I am from a victorious people

Whose wounds still ache.

I am from a recent people,

Whose pain is ancient

Illiterate and now

Half a century in rebellion.

I am from the people that a child

From Niquinohomo dreamt;

I am the people of Sandino

and of Benjamin Zeledon.

I am from a simple people

Fraternal and friendly

Who plants and defends

Its revolution.

Yo soy de un pueblo pequeño

Pequeño como un gorrión

Con medio siglo de sueños

De vergüenza y de valor

Yo soy de un pueblo sencillo

Como la palabra Juan

Como el amor que te entrego

Como el amor que me dan

Yo soy de un pueblo nacido

entre fusil y cantar

Que de tanto haber sufrido

tiene mucho que enseñar

Hermano de tantos pueblos

Que han querido separar

Por que saben que aun pequeños

Juntos somos un volcán

Por que saben que aun pequeños

Juntos somos un volcán

Yo soy de un pueblo que es poeta

Y sus versos escribió

En los muros y en las puertas

Con sangre rabia y amor

Yo soy de un pueblo orgulloso

Con mil batallas perdidas

Soy de un pueblo victorioso

que aun le duelen las heridas.

Yo soy de un pueblo nacido

entre fusil y cantar

Que de tanto haber sufrido

tiene mucho que enseñar

Hermano de tantos pueblos

Que han querido separar

Por que saben que aun pequeños

Juntos somos un volcán

Por que saben que aun pequeños

Juntos somos un volcán

Yo soy de un pueblo reciente

Pero antiguo su dolor

Analfabeta vigente

Medio siglo en rebelión

Yo soy el pueblo que un niño

En Niquinohomo soñó

Soy del pueblo de Sandino

Y Benjamín Zeledón

Yo soy de un pueblo sencillo

Fraterno y amigo

Que siembra y defiende

Su revolución.

Somos Hijos del Maíz: Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy

The US embargo against Nicaragua was part of a strategy to starve the Nicaraguans into submission to the will of the greatest military power in the world. Wheat and flour, principally products of US origin, became "illegal". Nicaraguans rediscovered their connection to maize, through the necessity brought onto them by the scarcity of wheat, as depicted in this song, written and sung by Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy.

Si nos quitan el pan 
nos veremos en la obligación 
de sobrevivir como lo hicieron nuestros abuelos 
con el maíz fermentado

en la sangre 
de los héroes 

The ancestors of the Nicaraguans used corn for a multitude of recipes, many of which are still found in the popular culture today. This song reminds us of the importance of maize in the culture and in the politics of Nicaragua.

Somos hijos del maíz 
constructores de surcos y de sueños 
y aunque somos un país pequeño 
ya contamos con más de mil inviernos 
un millón de manos floreciendo 
en la tarea interminable de sembrar 
de abril a mayo, labrando, sembrando 
tapizcando, desgranando 
almacenando para la guerra y la paz! 

Food should never be used as an instrument of war!

Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy and Mancotal

Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy

Carlos and Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy

Because the land belongs to the people who work it!

Chicha de maíz, chicha pujagua 

chicha raizuda, pelo de maíz 
el atoooool 
Chingue de maíz, nacatamal 
atolillo el rerequeee 

Tamalpizque, totoposte, marquezote, chocolate, 
pinolillo,pinol y tiste, buñuelo, chilote, elote, posole, 
tortilla, guirila, rosquilla, empanada 

Es decir el macizo 
e irreversible alimento del pueblo 
es decir el maciso 
e irreversible alimento del pueblo... 

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Guerrero del Amor: Duo Guardabarranco

Rosey Soley composed a poem dedicated to her lover, fallen in the terrible conflict between Nicaraguans. Salvador Cardenal set the words to music, and here it is presented by Salvador and Katia, as Duo Guardabarranco. This song embodied the spirit of a generation dedicated to give their lives for the Revolution. Thank you, Rosey, Katia, and Salvador, for leaving us this beautiful homage to love and conflict in Nicaragua. The role of testimonial music in the Nicaraguan Revolution was tremendous, as can be imagined by the imagery and words of this song.

Guerrero del Amor

Warrior of Love (Rosey Soley and Salvador Cardenal)

I’ll trade you a song for the courage of your young combatant hands,

Welded to the metal with which you will save us.

I’ll trade this love of life and its promises

For the cold of your feet in the swamps,

Making fear and homesickness burn you.

Anonymous author of the dawn,

Silent deer in the mountain,

Warrior of love;

Son of these times, windmill,

Manchild born in the jungle

To go until the end, to the victory

I’ll trade you those 20 years, duplicated

Because of this necessary war,

For the silvery flower of hope

Te cambio una canción por el coraje
de tus jovenes manos combatientes,
fundidas al metal con que nos salvas.

Te cambio este amar la vida y sus promesas
por el frio de tus pies entre los suampos;
fraguando que se te quema el miedo y la nostalgia.

Autor anónimo de la alborada,
venado silencioso en la montaña,
guerrero del amor
hijo de este tiempo, remolino
hombre niño parido pues en plena selva
para llegar al fin a la victoria para llegar al fin.

Te cambio esos 20 años duplicados
a causa de esta guerra necesaria,
por la carnosa flor de la esperanza.

Autor anónimo de la alborada,
venado silencioso en la montaña;
guerrero del amor,
hijo de este tiempo, remolino
hombre niño parido pues en plena selva
para llegar al fin a la victoria para llegar al fin.

Autor anónimo de la alborada,
venado silencioso en la montaña;
guerrero del amor,
hijo de este tiempo, remolino
hombre niño parido pues en plena selva
para llegar al fin a la victoria para llegar al fin.
(Canción Dedicada a "Sandino" General de Hombres Libres 1983)

Misa Campesina Nicaraguense

The Nicaraguan Peasant Mass "Misa Campesina Nicaraguense" was composed in a collaboration principally by Carlos Mejia Godoy, inspired by Ernesto Cardenal. This mass expresses the struggles of the poor in the context of liberation theology. This mass follows the liturgical tradition, and incorporates Nicaraguan folk music motifs. The Misa Campesina Nicaraguense was banned from use in church, but it can still be heard in performances in Batahola neighborhood of Managua.

"Porque sos el Dios obrero, el Cristo trabajador"

I believe in you, comrade,

Christ the man, Christ the worker,

victor over death.

With your great sacrifice

you made new people

for liberation.

You are risen

in every arm outstretched

to defend the people

against the exploitation of rulers;

you are alive and present in the hut,

in the factory, in the school.

I believe in your ceaseless struggle,

I believe in your resurrection.

Click on song title for video:
Canto de Entrada (Carlos Mejia Godoy)
Kirye (Ana Belen)
Credo (Nana Moskouri and Mercedes Sosa)
Ofertorio (Elsa Baeza)
Canto de Meditacion (Carlos Mejia Godoy, El Guadalupano y los de Palacaguina)
Santo (Miguel Bose)
Miskita Lawana (Jorge Vasquez)
Vamos a la Milpa (Carlos Mejia Godoy)
Canto de Despedida (Miguel Bose and Ana Belen)

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