GPF Paraguay partners in preserving historic art in the Guaraní Project – Revista Ysyry
On Monday, August 25, the Ignacio A. Pane Municipal Theater hosted a historic evening: Between Polkas and Guaranias, Tribute to the Guaraní Language, organized by Global Peace Foundation and Instituto Patria Soñada, with the support of the National Secretariat of Culture.
The event coincided with three major commemorations: Guaraní Language Day, the centenary of the Guarania, and the 170th anniversary of the Municipal Theater itself. Within this framework, the Guaraní Project – Revista Ysyry (1942–1995) was officially presented. Declared of cultural interest, it rescues more than 14,000 poetic and musical works in Guaraní, Spanish, and Jopará.
Thanks to a digitization process launched in 2023, this valuable collection is now available in two complementary formats:
- The virtual library Oremba’e (“what is ours”) offers free and open access to the materials. orembae.org.py
- The bilingual book Che Ñe’ẽ, Che Purahéi (“my word, my song”), which gathers a curated selection of nearly 200 representative works. See book
The night was filled with music and memory, featuring performances by renowned artists such as Los Alfonso, Spirit and Sound Orchestra, Rebecca Arramendi, Cristina Bitiusca, Alcides Ovelar, Julia Rosa Tarabal, and the duo Vocal Dos.
Musicians perform during an evening celebrating the Guaraní Project – Revista Ysyry.
The tribute also welcomed former U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay James Cason, who spearheaded the recovery of Revista Ysyry and was recognized as an Illustrious Visitor of the City of Asunción.
A special highlight was a message sent by international singer Gloria Estefan, who celebrated the value of the initiative and expressed her admiration for the richness of Paraguayan music, which will inspire part of her upcoming Broadway musical.
The event gathered more than 500 attendees, reflecting the deep public interest in safeguarding Paraguay’s cultural memory.
For the Global Peace Foundation, this event reaffirms our commitment to preserving the Guaraní language, strengthening Paraguayan cultural identity, and building bridges that unite generations.
As Dr. María del Carmen Giménez, of Instituto Patria Soñada, expressed:
“This project not only promotes the Guaraní language, it also connects us with the feelings and values of those who, through Ysyry, left testimony of their time and their love for Paraguay.”
