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Music and Politics in Paraguay.
No formal interest in music existed in Paraguay until at least a decade after the War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70). During the latter decades of the nineteenth century a philharmonic society was founded and Italian opera companies introduced Paraguayans to opera. In 1891 the country’s national theater was opened. As a result of the first world war, however, a number of composers, such as Jaime Segalés (1891-1960), settled in Paraguay. Later, during the 1920s and 1930s Paraguayan composers began to incorporate indigenous elements into their music. The first to do so, Fernando Centurión de Zayas (1886-1938), composed several pieces that are based on native folk song, of which his “Serenata guaraní” was premiered in 1929 at the Panamerican Union in Washington, DC. One of the most imaginative composers of this period, José Asunción Flores (1908-72), in collaboration with poet Ortiz Guerrero, created a new type of ballad known as “Guaranía.” Juan Carlos Moreno (1912-83) was an invalid who studied in Argentina and Brazil. Considered the finest Paraguayan composer of that century, he was also the first in his country to incorporate native elements within traditional forms. Unfortunately, beginning in the 1940s a series of dictatorships forced many Paraguayan composers into exile. The period that corresponds to the presidency of Alfredo Stroessner (1954-89) was particularly difficult; all forms of liberal expression were prohibited during his regime. Since the 1970s there have been signs of renewal, for example, a group of composers concentrating on contemporary music emerged during that time. Since the 1980s the country has produced several composers, such as Daniel Luzco, Saúl Gaona (1957-) and Diego Sánchez Haase (1970-), who are gaining international recognition.
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For more information about the music of this country, including links to conservatories, university music departments and other institutes and organizations, please see our country resource page for Paraguay.
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