Recovering Culture through the Song “Ywoty Renda” – Great Garden in Guaraní Ñandewa

Type: Poster – Article nº 782

Authors: Cinthia Ruivo, Sandra Lucia Simonato Bora

Presenter: Sandra Lucia Simonato Bora

Institution: Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Duettom Escola de Música

Abstract

This text reports and describes the application of the song “Ywoty Renda” – Great Garden in the context of music education. With lyrics and music composed by João José De Félix Pereira (Awaju Poty) and commissioned by the HausMusik Brasil Project, Great Garden is sung in the Guaraní Ñandewa Ianaiwe dialect (Krüger, 2013), an ancestral language of Southern Latin America. The song celebrates the rebirth of nature after the Southern Hemisphere winter solstice, with its central message being “Let’s make a great garden, to adorn mother earth, and in it we will make a nest, to welcome future generations.” The work holds significant pedagogical value, particularly in addressing the modern challenge of children’s over-reliance on technology, which can diminish the learning of ancestral knowledge.

“Ywoty Renda” facilitates diverse ensemble musical compositions (Illari & Mateiro, 2012), promoting collaborative learning across various educational settings. The premiere instrumentation featured piano, vocal soloist, choir, Kantelium, and recorder, divided into a prelude and the main song. The prelude introduced six Guaraní/Portuguese duets representing family life values: Jopoi (Reciprocity), Aguyje (Maturity), Jerowy’a (Trust-Faith), Kwa’a (Wisdom), Mboru (Constancy), and Arandu (Kindness-Gentleness), concluding with the collective recitation of Moborayu (Affection).

Methodologically, the song’s activities suggest two important approaches: musical (reinforcing rhythm, melody, and instrumentation concepts while contrasting them with Western forms) and cultural (exploring native customs, geography, and language introduction). Cultivating a sense of belonging through this composition helps decolonize the school curriculum by valuing non-European knowledge.

Ultimately, “Ywoty Renda” exemplifies how music, in many cultures, serves as a foundation for community life, a tool for healing, and a means of transmitting wisdom across generations (Schaden, 1954), thereby honoring the history, philosophy, and continuity of the Guaraní Ñandewa people.

References

Illari, B., & Mateiro, T. (2012). Música em conjunto e o aprendizado na sala de aula. Revista Brasileira de Educação Musical, 25(2), 45–60.

Krüger, N. (2013). Dialeto Guaraní Ñandewa Ianaiwe: Uma gramática. Editora Universitária.

Schaden, E. (1954). Aspectos fundamentais da cultura Guarani. Difusão Europeia do Livro.