Guaraní School Becomes Hub for Bilingual Music Ahead of Harvest Festival

In the early light of a cool August morning, the courtyard of Escuela del Río in the village of La Paz fills with the sound of children chanting a traditional Guaraní lullaby while clapping to a rhythm played on a handmade drum. The melody, taught by teacher Ana María Rojas, weaves together the language of the ancestors with the cadence of a modern pop chorus, drawing curious onlookers from nearby farms.

Rojas, who has taught Guaraní language and music for twelve years, explained that the school’s bilingual signage – posted in both Spanish and Guaraní – was installed after a regional education grant was awarded last year. "The signs remind our students that their identity lives on the walls as well as in the songs they sing," she said, pointing to a brightly coloured board that reads "Ñane ñe'ẽ, ñane vida" – "Our language, our life".

The school’s program aligns with the upcoming Harvest Festival in San Vicente, where the community will showcase traditional dances, coffee‑bean roasting demonstrations, and a concert featuring the school’s choir. The feature will explore how the classroom’s language revival is feeding into the festival’s cultural renaissance.