The Annual Paraguayan Songwriters Festival, also known as Festival of the Collective of Singers and Songwriters, and Songs of the Way, will be held on Wednesday, October 9 from 8:00 pm, at the Teatro de las Américas of the Paraguayan Cultural Center Americano (CCPA) in Asunción, and will feature the presentation of singer-songwriters such as Aldo Franco, Victor Riveros, Nat Mendoza, Dani Moreno, Chabela Ri, ANd Nino Rodríguez. Also, as a guest artist will be David Portillo.
About the Paraguayan Songwriters Collective Festival
During the show each singer-songwriter will perform their own songs, presenting them in an acoustic format, very close to the public, sharing the very essence of the creations. The different inspirations, themes and approaches of each creator in his compositions will show us the creative diversity of these artists who paint some of the musical looks of today’s Paraguay.
This collective of creative artists has been active since 2019, seeking to promote original musical creations in Paraguay, in a collaborative way between them and is consolidated as a space of rapprochement between singers, singer-songwriters and the audience that seeks to nourish themselves from the songs of this style.
Advance tickets can be purchased for G.40,000 through Whatsapp (+595981437535), and will also soon be available through the digital platform TUTI. At the door the entrances will cost G.50,000.
This edition is supported by the National Fund for Culture and the Arts (FONDEC), the Paraguayan American Cultural Center (CCPA), Paraguayan Authors Partners (APA) and the NEMPRE GROUP.
Artists of the Paraguayan Songwriters Collective Festival
Victor Riveros
Victor is a musician and singer-songwriter, with a career spanning 30 years so far. He is one of the founders of the Urban Social Song, and has released five albums with his own authored songs “Scorched Skin” (1993), “Time of Acting” (2002), “Tystizo Identity” (2008), “Essential Apyte” (2012), Mediterranean Heart (2022) and has also participated in a similar number of collective productions.
He has represented Paraguay at several international events such as the Networking Encounter between Eastern Europe and MERCOSUR, held in Austria (2001), where he participated as both a musician and lecturer. He has also been selected by IBERMSICAS to participate in the International SONAMOS LATINOAMICA Festival in Costa Rica, making a dozen presentations in different cities in March 2023. In October 2024 he will be back at the festival, at the headquarters in Santa Fe, Argentina. He has won international competitions in the field of creation.
Nino Rodriguez
Nino was born in Asunción on May 20, 1986, and raised in San Joaquín, Caaguazú. He participated from a young age in festivals, and was a winner of the Takuare E Festival, Intercollegial de la Canción CTN, and others. He is also the winner of the 3rd Ibermusic People’s Song Contest 2017, and was selected in the composition project Jeperoka, in both 2021 and 2022, which is part of the Music Collective of Singers “Canciones del Camino,” together with Liza Bogado, Victor Riveros, Ulises Silva, Aldo Franco, Maria Ríos, Dani Moreno and others.
In 2016 he released his first record material recorded in the Spirit and Sound studio, “Jagua Purahéi”, and “Singing dog,” performing a Lanzamiento Concert with prestigious guests such as David Portillo, Victor Riveros, Rusbel Barrios, under the musical direction of the master Sergio Cuquejo. In 2023 he launched his 2nd EP Album “Song, then river”, through a launch concert, in the CCPA, along with guest artists.
Dani Moreno
Dani has released six albums edited with songs from his own authorship and more than 90 songs recorded with several Latin American rhythms, the central axis of his work. He has held more than 60 concerts of music and participations in festivals, book presentations, albums, tributes, lectures, poetry readings and shared stage in important spaces in Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Cuba, Peru, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico and Costa Rica. He has won the songwriting contest “A song for Asunción” in 2014 and the 4th Ibero-American Popular Song Contest, IBERM-SICAS in 2017.
Chabela Ri
Chabela Ri is a Paraguayan composer who fuses Latin rhythms, folkore, rock and pop. She was born in Asunción, Paraguay, in 1989, and began her musical career from a very young age, singing with her parents, both professional musicians. In 2013, she participated in the television program “The Academy,” after which Chabela dedicated herself to composing her own songs leading rock bands such as “Supernativa” and “Madame Elisa.” In 2021, she released her first single as a soloist, “Me Envenenaste,” by the hand of the Argentine producer Federico Lisorski.
The song was a success in Paraguay and opened the doors to an international career. In 2021, she released her first EP called, “Intensa,” which has four songs, including a collaboration with Julian Baglietto. Since then, Chabela has released other singles, such as Manera de Amar, Mombyry Aha, Glorya Labor, “Entre Póras” and La Guaranga. Chabela Ri is a versatile artist now her artistic direction focuses on the fusion of Paraguayan music with a modern touch.
Aldo Franco
Aldo is a Paraguayan singer-songwriter, with a musical style framed in the new Paraguayan folklore with fusion of Latin American rhythms, with high narrative, social and poetic content in his lyrics. He studied medicine in Cuba, where he has lived since 1999, and his music receives influence from the Cuban Trova and its referents.
In 2007 he recorded 11 songs and translated them into his first record material called “Pletoric Soledad.” In 2009 he presented his second record material “Infancy of Semaphores.” In 2013 he released the album “Draw You with My Voice,” with 10 songs recorded in Caracas, Buenos Aires and Asunción.
At the end of 2018 he released the single DEDICATORIA, and in the first quarter of 2021 he released a song called “A tea and coffee”, which was a collaboration with the requintista Juan Cancio Barreto. In October 2021 he released the EP “Sublime” recorded on Live Session.
In 2022 he presented “Few Yerba” with the collaboration of Melissa Hicks (from the Tekove group) and in 2023 the song “Continent Woman” with the collaboration of singer Susana Zaldívar. Since 2021, his works are produced by the hand of the Argentine Matias Cella, renowned musician and producer of Jorge Drexler and Kevin Johansen, and Zoe Gotusso, among others. In 2022 he started with the Sublime Tour, taking his music to several cities of the country. A new record material in the collaboration of several national and international artists is expected to be released in 2024.
Nat Mendoza
Nat is a neurodivergent artist passionate about building bridges between music, education and social change. A Paraguayan singer, composer, educator and cultural manager.
Her career so far shows a solid trajectory in the management of cultural projects, carrying out social impact initiatives, and promoting the development of communities through art and culture.
She is the founder and director of Estación Crear, a platform dedicated to the management of cultural projects with social impact, which is currently designing an artistic residence for the women of the Good Shepherd’s Prison. In addition, it is part of the Paraguayan Cancioneras collective, which works for the visibility of women in music in Paraguay, and has published the first Paraguayan songbook made 100% by women. She launched her first single in 2020 titled “Tamora” as a prayer for peace and a struggle for human rights. So far, she has released a total of 6 singles, and 1 EP, all available on digital music platforms.
She has participated in several national and international festivals, such as Festival of Singerwriters of Mexico in 2021, Festival del Lago Ypacarai, Festival Internacional Giing him Cuerda 2024, also participated in the project “Jeporeka” by Berta Rojas, where he wrote the song “Wooths,” an anthem to the struggle and resistance during the dictatorship in Paraguay, where he also shared workshops with great teachers and teachers such as Victor Heredia, Monica Salmaso, Popi Spatoco, Jorge Fandermole and Juan Quintero.
She says her “goal is to continue working to make art a tool of social transformation, to sing for those who can no longer, and continue to learn about building living and community culture, which I feel is the way”.
David Portillo
In addition, as a guest artist at the Paraguayan Songwriters Collective Festival, the outstanding and world-famous singer-songwriter who needs no introduction will be performing: DAVID PORTILLO! The Asunción Times is very excited!
Flyer for the Paraguayan Songwriters Collective Festival:
