Art as a powerful messenger: music from the Pantanal
10 songs: that is the result of a 4 day long, 450 km boat trip through the Pantanal with 36 people. The project Pantanal Poética sought and found a new way to look at the Pantanal, a valuable but threatened nature reserve on the border of Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay.
In October 2015, poets, musicians, scientists and local and Dutch environmentalists came together to share views and experiences. Not only did this result in the beautiful music from Pantanal Poética, but it also generated a lot of media attention. This made the trip a unique way to show the value of the Pantanal. And a necessary way, because the area faces various threats.
The largest threat to the Pantanal is the construction of over 150 small dams to produce energy. This energy is not meant for the local population, but for the big cities in the rest of the country. Furthermore the increasing production of soy in and around the area poses a serious threat. For cheap and fast transportation in large container ships of soy and other commodities meant for export, the dredging and canalisation of the Paraguay-Parana River is high on the agenda. This will not only make it more attractive to grow soy, but will also increase the importance of animal husbandry and mining in the area.
For more than 20 years, Both ENDS has been supporting local organisations in the Pantanal fighting for the sustainable management of this beautiful area.
More about Pantanal Poética:
- Short movie about the project
- The 10 songs
- News article (2 november 2015): Not soy, but music in the Pantanal!
Also read our publication: The whole Pantanal, not just the half (December 2014)
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