Arami Malaisé did not have weeks to prepare. She had a few of them, and more than 20 songs to memorise from scratch. The Paraguayan-French harpist, actress, and voice artist is one of the musicians performing in Basura: A New Musical, which opened on 30 May 2026 at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.
As reported previously in The Asunción Times, the show, produced by Gloria and Emily Estefan, is inspired by the true story of the Cateura Recycled Instruments Orchestra, a youth ensemble from the community surrounding the Cateura landfill on the outskirts of Asunción, whose members play instruments built entirely from discarded materials.
Malaisé spoke to The Asunción Times about her journey to the Atlanta stage, her deep connection to the Paraguayan harp, and what she believes this production means for Paraguay’s visibility in the world.
Arami Malaisé: A love story that began in Cannes
Malaisé was born in Cannes, France, to a Paraguayan mother, Vidalina Notario. It was there, as an infant, that her lifelong relationship with the Paraguayan harp began.
“My mother, being Paraguayan and being far from Paraguay, would take me several times a week to a restaurant where a man played his Paraguayan harp,” she recalls. “I fell in love with the instrument.”
At the age of three, she asked for one. At four, her grandfather Marcel Malaisé gave her her first Paraguayan harp. She has been studying and performing ever since.
After more than 15 years as a harpist, Arami moved to New York City to study at the New York Conservatory of Dramatic Arts School of Film, TV and Theatre, bringing her harp with her. A casting call that sought multilingual actors led her to the world of voice-over work, and she went on to spend six years in Los Angeles building a career across acting, music, and dubbing in three languages: English, Spanish, and French.
Her name in Guaraní, Paraguay’s co-official indigenous language, has always travelled with her. So has her termo of mate.
A call from two people on the same day
The path to Basura arrived in an unlikely way. On the same day, journalist Cynthia Llanes and Victor Espinola contacted Arami about the same event in Miami, where organizers were urgently seeking a Paraguayan harpist.
“I thought it was curious that both were calling me for the same date,” she says with a laugh. She happened to be in Miami, and Basura made contact.
“When I finally spoke by phone with David Lai, the musical’s music coordinator, his first words stayed with me: You must be the harpist we are looking for, because everyone is recommending you.”
It was not her first brush with the production. Two years earlier, a musician from the Cateura Orchestra had reached out to recommend her to the Basura team. At that time, a workshop coincided with the birth of her son, Remi, and she was unable to participate. Now, Remi is one year and three months old, and cared for daily at the Alliance Theatre’s free on-site childcare programme, which Arami describes as essential to her focus during the run.
The Atlanta engagement was initially for two events only. The organizers originally hired another harpist for the full premiere. When that artist withdrew at the last moment, they recruited Arami just weeks before rehearsals for the grand opening began.
“Something in me, surely my Paraguayan blood, knew I would achieve it. And I am achieving it.”
Learning 20 songs without reading music
The challenge was significant. Arami does not read musical notation with the ease of classically trained musicians. She learnt the entire score by ear and memory in a matter of weeks.
She worked closely with Alex Lacamoire, the Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning musical supervisor behind Hamilton and In the Heights, to ensure that the rhythms, interpretations, and style of the Paraguayan harp were properly reflected in the orchestrations.
“This could be the first time the Paraguayan harp appears in a musical. And God willing, our Paraguayan harp will be on its way to Broadway.”
Paraguay on a world stage
Arami believes she may be the only Paraguayan among the cast and musicians of the production itself, a fact that gives her role additional weight.
“It has been difficult for us Paraguayans to have representation abroad. A lot of people do not even know where Paraguay is. Leaving the country is extremely difficult. But the Cateura Recycled Instruments Orchestra has managed it. Thanks to them, they are inspiring a huge number of people around the world.”
When the Cateura Orchestra visited Atlanta to see the production and brought their instruments with them, Arami was once again impressed by the craftsmanship behind them. The harp played by musician Matias Rojas, she noted, uses door keys and coins as levers for its strings.
“Even knowing the story, every time I see how the instruments are made, I am amazed.”
‘A very beautiful and loving family’
Arami Malaisé speaks of the Estefan family and the wider Basura team with admiration. “The team that Gloria and Emily Estefan have assembled for this project is at another level. They have been dedicated to having the authenticity of our Paraguay in this project.”
Her own family attended two consecutive performances and cried both times. She has also seen reactions from Paraguayans on social media, many of whom felt the production honoured their country.
“Every night after the show, Gloria and Emily are in the theatre lobby talking with the audience. They are a very beautiful and loving family.”
More about her can be found at Arami’s website and find Arami Malaisé on Instagram.
