ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay – This past Tuesday, the National Secretariat of Culture of Paraguay held the first inter-institutional coordination meeting for the 'National Year of Guarania.' This event is part of the commemoration declared by Presidential Decree No. 3377, marking the 100th anniversary of the creation of Jejuí, the first Guarania composition by the maestro José Asunción Flores.
The meeting unveiled the primary directions for the 2025 activity plan, aimed at promoting and revisiting the value of Guarania, recently recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
In an interview with Ultima Hora, the Minister of the National Secretariat of Culture, Adriana Ortiz, stated that the committee comprises various national institutions, including the Presidency, the Office of the First Lady, the Ministry of Education and Sciences, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Secretariat of Culture, the National Secretariat of Tourism, the National Secretariat of Language Policy, the Institute of Public Health, the Municipality of Asunción, the National Fund for Culture and the Arts (Fondec), the Cabildo, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Popular Music Orchestra, the Higher Institute of Fine Arts, and civil society organizations that develop Guarania in their respective fields.
Minister Ortiz explained, “The committee’s activities have already started since January 2025, with a comprehensive program and schedule covering the entire year. Yesterday (Tuesday) was the first meeting of the committee, but work has been ongoing since January. This meeting focused on integrating each institution’s schedule to create a national commemorative agenda.”
A 2025 Filled with Diverse Events
The Minister emphasized that the activities planned for 2025 will be diverse, encompassing cultural, academic, and multidisciplinary collaborations to cater to all tastes. Special collaborations will be established with Paraguayan embassies worldwide. “We plan to collaborate deeply, especially with the Paraguayan Embassy in Buenos Aires. Guarania took root there with Flores, and the large Paraguayan community in Argentina has consistently worked to revalue this musical genre,” Ortiz added.
Activities proposed through previous meetings include a national promotional campaign with documentaries and photo exhibitions, digital promotional materials, the Guarania music symposium held last year, traveling art and dance exhibitions, festivals, and concerts. Notably, a large-scale Guarania festival will be held in the capital, Asunción, on August 27, which will then tour major regions nationwide.
Additionally, composition and essay contests on the history and creation of Guarania, fairy tale competitions, traveling visual arts exhibitions, workshops, and historical seminars are planned. The Ministry of Education and Sciences will declare this year the ‘Year of Guarania’ and conduct special activities commemorating the 100th anniversary of Guarania through the ‘Music Goes to School’ program.
Shared Goal: Promoting the Value of Guarania
Minister Ortiz stated, “The core objective of this commemorative project is to inform the community and the entire nation about the symbolic value of this genre on the 100th anniversary of Guarania, creating spaces for learning, ownership, knowledge, and enjoyment.” To achieve this, the plan is to highlight the value of Guarania through civic sensitivity education, introducing Guarania to children and adolescents, inducing new creations, discovering lesser-known works, and continuous promotion throughout the year.
Finally, the Minister emphasized, “It is important that civil society and public institutions work together to continuously transmit and root Guarania in the new generations,” highlighting that this project will play a significant role in the succession of Paraguayan cultural heritage.
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