Jungle Baroque

When the missionaries of the Jesuit Order were expelled from South America 250
years ago, this act ended a fascinating period of cultural richness. The missionaries
left behind a remarkable social structure, which has been recognised to a large
extent as part of UNESCO’s world heritage program.

And they brought their music with them when they came to the jungle. There, the
missionaries encountered passionate musicians, giving new life to their musical
heritage.

Violins, harps, and even the first organ of South America were built in the so-called
reducciones (reductions). European models amalgamated with indigenous
musicality: music became a means of communication and a core element of
cultural identity.

JUNGLE BAROQUE delves into this fascinating world of South American Baroque
music. Recorded at the historic reduction church of Santa María de Fe (Paraguay),
the CD unites rediscovered treasures by Jesuit masters such as the Swiss missionary
Martin Schmid, Domenico Zipoli, and indigenous composers.

Luis Szarán is a UNESCO ‘Artist for Peace’, highly acclaimed as a conductor, and a
specialist for jungle Baroque. ‘Sonidos de Paraquaria’ is an ensemble of young
Paraguayan musicians, dedicated to the rediscovered works from the Jesuit
reducciones.