With warmth, grace, and an unmistakable Paraguayan smile, Berta Rojas stood before a mermerised audience at the Dazzler by Wyndham Hotel in Asunción. The Latin Grammy-winning guitarist launched The Journey of Strings (La Huella de las Cuerdas). The album is one of her most ambitious projects yet, a musical expedition across ten countries, uniting seventeen artists and the diverse sounds of the Latin American string instruments.
“This continent is a dream turned into a path,” Rojas told The Asunción Times. “And on that path, we wish to leave a trace.” The event marked not only the debut of a new album but also the unveiling of a multimedia project that blends sound, literature, technology, and visual art. A tribute to the string instruments that have shaped Latin American identity for centuries.
Tradition and innovation
Thе hotеl turnеd into a spacе of intimacy and discovеry. Alongsidе Bеrta Rojas, a display of hеr Thе Journеy of Strings book-art еdition stood. Her book and album is a hеavy, nicеly dеsignеd volumе housing a 180-gram vinyl. If that wеrе not еnough, thе pagеs amazеd guеsts whеn, using thе accompanying augmеntеd rеality app, thеy show 3D rеndеrings of Latin Amеrican instrumеnts in movеmеnt. Laughtеr, convеrsation, and thе soft strumming of guitars fillеd thе air, and madе for an atmosphеrе both sophisticatеd and warm.
Projеctеd onto a largе scrееn was thе trailеr of thе official documеntary The Journey of Strings, which prеmiеrеd that samе night on Rojas’s YouTubе channеl. Thе film follows hеr across tеn countriеs and nеarly 13,000 kilomеtrеs. Chronicling hеr еncountеrs with musicians who kееp alivе thе ancеstral traditions of thе guitar, vihuеla, cuatro, charango, and othеr еmblеmatic instrumеnts.
Thе launch also introducеd an innovativе digital еxpеriеncе. Guеsts wеrе invitеd to tеst thе La Huеlla dе las Cuеrdas app, availablе on Googlе Play and thе App Storе, by scanning pagеs of thе book to visualisе thе instrumеnts in thrее dimеnsions.
This fusion of mеdia rеflеcts Rojas’s vision of music as a living, еvolving art form. Thе printеd еdition is distributеd in Paraguay through Music Hall, Books, and Sеrvilibro. For international purchases, the album is available on Amazon. Therefore, her project bridgеs gеnеrations of listеnеrs, offеring both analoguе warmth and digital innovation.
Berta Rojas beyond the stage
When the moment came to speak, Berta Rojas’s tone was both calm and luminous. She thanked her collaborators, among them Argentine writer Santiago Giordano and visual artist Celeste Prieto. At the same time, Rojas expressed her gratitude to Banco Itaú and Fundación Itaú for supporting a project that “believes in the power of art to unite us as Latin Americans.”
Her speech carried deep emotion. “Music connects what words cannot. And maybe it is because I am not very good with words that I make music. Through music, my heart speaks.”
A celebration of collaboration and creativity
For Berta Rojas, this project is far more than a collection of songs. It is a dialogue between cultures, generations, and histories. Each of the ten tracks functions as a chapter in this grand narrative, highlighting an instrument that has shaped Latin America’s musical identity.
The journey opens with a tribute to early string traditions, where Rojas performs on a twelve-string guitar crafted in Havana in 1820. From there, she travels through Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Chile, collaborating with different artists. Some of them are Eloy Zúñiga, Fabiola Méndez, the Saboya brothers, Francesca Ancarola, Alfonso Ureta, and singers Francesca Ancarola and Manuel García. The voyage culminates in Tríptico Sudamericano by Franco-Brazilian composer Elodie Bouny, weaving together the voices of the charango, bandolim, and cuatro across mountains, seas and plains.
The Paraguayan segment, perhaps the most emotional of the album, finds Rojas reunited with her roots. Together with harpist Lincoln Almada, she reimagines the beloved polkas Arroyos y Esteros and Che la Reina. And in an unexpected twist, she joins Oscar-winning Argentine musician Gustavo Santaolalla for The Last of Us, adapting his iconic theme for guitar and ronroco. The journey concludes with a bonus track: Baiaozim Calungo, an homage to the viola caipira of northeast Brazil.
Giving back to the community
Perhaps one of the most touching announcements was the donation of 150 vinyl copies of The Journey of Strings. Paraguay’s National Library is responsible for distributing them to every public library across the country.
“It is a gift to the public, a way for everyone to explore these instruments. And to read, see, and play with what makes our region unique.”
Representatives from Banco Itaú reaffirmed their commitment to supporting projects that strengthen Paraguay’s cultural presence. “This is not only a musical release, but an educational contribution that will inspire future generations.”
At the end of the ceremony, the audience was granted an intimate moment. Holding the book-vinyl in their hands, Berta Rojas took pictures with the attendees and signed each copy personally, showing again how warm she is as a person.
A legacy in motion
Before leaving the stage, Berta Rojas shared a final reflection that lingered in the room long after the conference ended: “The more we affirm our identity, the more universal we become.”
Therefore, with The Journey of Strings, Berta Rojas once again proves that Paraguayan artistry has no borders. She combines tradition and innovation, discipline and emotion, humility and brilliance. Her journey of strings is also a journey of belonging to Paraguay, to Latin America, and to the universal language of music.
