Cesar and Casa Tres Mundos, a home to learn music

Cesar is playing acoustic guitar alongside his teacher Derrick and is giving it all he has. The audience is entranced with the passionate performance of the duo. Cesar responds to the applause with a huge smile, dripping sweat as a testimony to his sustained efforts. We are in the auditorium of Casa Tres Mundos, a cultural centre and music/art school in the heart of colonial Granada, Nicaragua. The music concert showcases local musical talent for the benefit of families, local community and international visitors.

Cesar Jarquin Moreira, 19 is from a large family. He lives in la Sabaneta, a disadvantaged barrio of Granada. Cesar’s parents wanted him to study civil engineering, which he pursued for a year. But Cesar’s dream was to study music. Cesar has studied cello with teacher Irma Koch at Casa Tres Mundos for three years, is taking guitar lessons with instructor Derrick Narvaes, and sings in the Casa Tres Mundos’ adult choir. His learning path as a musician began late at age 15, and he is working hard to catch up. His life goal is to become an excellent cello player and music teacher.

Casa Tres Mundos provides Cesar with a scholarship that covers the cost of music lessons and lends him a cello, his main instrument, at no cost. Cesar feels a strong connection with his cello, to which he gives “a lot of love and good care”, especially lugging it on and off the bus between Granada and Managua. In early 2017, he began to study towards a degree in arts and music instruction at the Conservatory Upoli in Managua. Combining music lessons and choir at Tres Mundos with university studies in Managua keeps Cesar busy, happy and fulfilled.

Casa Tres Mundos has selected Cesar to participate in a Diploma in Instrumental Technique for young musicians sponsored by the Association Ibero Academy in Medellin, Colombia. A select group of six musicians from Nicaragua are participating in two intense ten-day internships in Colombia to strengthen their music skills and instrumental techniques. Cesar is looking forward to the internship and reconnecting with musicians from across Latin America.

Cesar explains that when he plays the cello or the guitar, he can express feelings and moods for which he has no words. He loves to loose himself in music. Music is a “refuge” from the outside world, a bubble to forget the problems of everyday life and a way to avoid the drugs and premature sex that he perceives as prevalent among youth. He states that spending time at Casa Tres Mundos helps him be a “good kid”, to open up and make new friends. For Cesar, Casa Tres Mundos represents a third home, after only his family and Church.

Casa Tres Mundos supports young musical talent and provides learning opportunities for youth that would otherwise face many barriers to access music, music lessons and music performance. Cesar sees himself as part of the new generation of music teachers in Nicaragua and hopes to teach at Casa Tres Mundos in the future. He also dreams of conducting an orchestra one day. Beyond music skills, Cesar has gained self-confidence, has opened up and has become part of the tight-knit music community of Tres Mundos. He has a plan and path for his life and projects himself in the future as giving back to the Casa that welcomed him three years ago.

Odette Langlais, volunteer, Friends of Casa Tres Mundos, november 2017