WORK: Colectivo Katari

I had my first day of "work" this week in Bolivia -- actually quite exhilarating. 

To fill in the gaps:  I am working (volunteering) with a small Bolivian Artist Collective called Colectivo Katari, named for 18th century indigenous revolutionary Túpac Katari.  Made up of musicians, theatre artists, visual artists, puppeteers and culinary artists, Colectivo Katari is as political and personal as they are artistic.  I don't know if I've ever met a group of artists so communally committed to changing their society--beginning with themselves.

Katari has a number of projects, of course.  To give you sense, I'll name a few:

• Sunday Puppet shows in the Central Plaza
• Radio Show  (http://grietasradio.blogspot.com/)
• Theatre workshops in underserved schools in the "sur" of Cochabamba
• In April Katari we will begin theatre-based workshops with women who are victims of domestic violence.  The curriculum will be based on workshops I did this summer in Minneapolis with sex-trafficking victims.
• A beautiful musical and puppetry show for niños called Desde los Suenos.  Check out the recently released Desde los Suenos album (and sing it with your kids!!) here: http://katari.bandcamp.com/



Alexia and Marcello performing Yo Soy el Dueño de Todo
(...pero nunca tengo nada)

• Otros Mirados, Otra Historia: A dramatic presentation for local schools and for visiting groups of students and volunteers

Much of the Katari's work deals with issues of race, class and resistance and Otros Mirados, Otra Historia is no exception.  The presentation blends visual elements, narration, story and music to explore the indigenous history of Bolivia -- a history about which most of the collective (the majority of whom are mestizo) heard nothing in their childhood education.  The canon in most American textbooks is outrageous, but I found this reality even more mind blowing here, in a nation with a majority indigenous population.   


Occasionally Otros Mirados, Otra Historia is performed for American students or volunteers -- in these cases, the presentation connects Bolivia's history with the history of oppression and resistance in the United States.   I've already enjoyed the privilege of performing with the collective in Otros Mirados, Otra Historia  -- you can see a couple painfully brief video clips here: 



Or, clap your hands to Marcello singing Jallalla (click)

Finally, I gave a voice lesson today to members of the collective -- a group lesson with 8 people, which will continue twice a week.  All my students were delighted and devoted -- a pleasure.  In true Colectivo Katari fashion, we finished our session we tea.  

And it was my first class taught in spanish.   There was a degree of grunting and "como ésto" but nonetheless -- Yes.