Every year on June 9, Paraguay celebrates National Day of the Paraguayan Harp (Día Nacional del Arpa Paraguaya), a day to honour one of the country’s most loved instruments. This date marks the anniversary of the death of Félix Pérez Cardozo, one of the country’s most important harpists in history.
Félix Pérez Cardozo was active in the 1940s and is remembered as a pioneer. He helped make the Paraguayan harp popular both in, and outside the country. He was one of the first to record harp music, with famous songs like El pájaro campana and El tres lechero. Thanks to his work, Paraguayan folk music reached more people and the harp became part of the country’s cultural identity.
Paraguayan Harp Day: a special concert
This year, a special concert will take place on June 9 from 8:30 PM at the restaurant Patio Colonial in Asunción to celebrate the harp and its history. The event will feature performances by harpist Carmen Monjes, performing solo, and a duo of Juanjo Corbalán on harp and his partner Lara Barreto, who sings and plays the saxophone.
Juanjo Corbalán has a deep connection to the harp. He started playing when he was just six years old. “I grew up listening to my brother, Sixto, who is also a harpist,” Juanjo shares. “My mom always encouraged us to play Paraguayan music since she loved it so much”.
His brother was his first teacher, and over time, Juanjo kept learning, practicing, and developing his own musical style.
Juanjo Corbalán Cuarteto
Later, Juanjo started a group called the Juanjo Corbalán Cuarteto (Juanjo Corbalán Quartet). It is in this group that he plays his own songs with a mix of Paraguayan folk music, jazz, and other styles. Inspired by the legendary Félix Pérez Cardozo.
“It’s like remembering someone who was a great master of the harp and helped people discover Paraguayan music,” Juanjo said about the 1940s pioneer who was born in Hyaty, Paraguay, approximately 180 kilometres outside of Asunción, in 1908.
Juanjo Corbalán Cuarteto has played in many countries, including Uruguay, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Switzerland. The quartet even won first place at the Dutch Harp Festival in the city of Utrecht, the Netherlands, where they represented Paraguay among more than 20 other harpists. One of their albums is called Jazz No Es Polca (Jazz Is Not Polka), where they blend different styles in a creative and modern way.
Much more than an instrument
For Juanjo, the harp has been more than just an instrument. It has been a life companion. “Thanks to the harp, I grew closer to my family, especially to my brother and mother, who shaped my early musical journey”, says Juanjo.
Through music, he found not only a path to express himself, but also love. He met his partner while studying music at university, “We bonded by our shared passion” adds Juanjo.
Today, he is living a dream: traveling the world, sharing his culture, and pursuing a career he truly loves. All of it, he says, has been possible because of the harp.
National Paraguayan Harp Day is a time to celebrate tradition, remember great artists like Félix Pérez Cardozo, and enjoy the work of today’s musicians who are keeping the harp alive in new and exciting ways.
Celebrating a special day
Celebrate this special day on June 9 with Juanjo’s music and spectacular dining at Patio Colonial. The restaurant is located at Teniente Irrazabal in the Nueva Ciudad Barrio of Asunción. Tickets cost Gs. 50.000 and a welcome drink and appetiser are included. Reservations via Whatsapp at +595971197430 or Patio Colonial on Instagram.
Patio Colonial opens at 5:00 PM and offers VIP Members of The Asunción Times a 13% discount upon presentation of their VIP Member Card.
