Episode 9

After two years, music continues to transform

Music connected us with Jorge and Sergio in 2021 in Sucre. Today two years later we met again and as if we had never stopped talking, we reconnected. Two years ago Jorge began his harm reduction process for problematic drug use. In this podcast Jorge reviews his past, tells us about his present and tells us about his dreams and goals for the future. Jorge's story is a testament to the power of music, the importance of guidance and making the most of the second chances life gives us. As Jorge told us in Letras Para Transformar two years ago "we are working for a different Sucre. So that my friends don't end up screwed like I was in my past." Today, Jorge continues working to make these letters come true.

Episode 8

Reconstructing Afrocolombian Identity in San Marcos, Sucre

In the 16th century Spanish colonisers entered Colombia through the ports of its Caribbean coast. It was on their ships that the first African prisoners arrived in Colombia. But after years of oppression and slavery, they became the first blacks that demanded freedom. They escaped their oppressors, recovered their rights and reconstructed their identity. 

Today we talk with Islan Hill, a political representative of the African-Colombian community of San Marcos, Sucre. With charisma, laughter, and songs, Islan tells us about the process of reconstruction, recovery and resignification of blackness. He tells us about how they resignificied the saying “black has to be”, which for years was used to discriminate. Because they are black and they are proud of it. Islan tells us about the cosmogony, their ideas of life and death and the freedom that runs through their veins. 

Episode 7

Giving Life a Second Chance Through Music and Self Love

In today's world we have to be the voice of those who cannot speak. Those who are silenced 🤐 Those who have no voice 🌍 Being aware of those around us and the world we live in is key to creating a better world for everyone. Today we talk with Harold Díaz, a young man from Sincelejo, Sucre, who has just released his first song: Planeta Conciencia.

Harold lives in Sincelejo, Sucre. Like many young people in Sucre, the lack of opportunities and high poverty rates cause depression and despair. Unable to imagine a positive future for themselves and those around them, some take refuge in gangs, while others escape through drugs or even suicide. Harold was one of those who gave up on life. But life did not give up on him and urged him to give it a second chance. Harold sought help and guidance through a project called Sucre Escucha and little by little he began to believe again in a better future and especially in himself. Music is his passion and his dream is to one day perform around the world and even win a Grammy. But until then, all he wants is to use his music to send messages to the world that help boys and girls who may be going through difficult times, like Harold himself did.

Episode 6

Dancing to Heal, Connect and Empathise

Johanna Salazar is the creator and breeder of spaces where the body in motion is the protagonist. In this episode Johanna tells us about healing, forgiving and being empathetic from her different dimensions. She tells us about the need to know our history from the perspective of an anthropologist, of the body as language from a dancer's point of view, and of the empathy and compassion that we can learn from children as a mother. These three versions of the same woman that go from the academic, the artistic and the emotional, lead us to the same conclusion: the importance of looking at the world with empathy, of seeing our differences as opportunities and healing to build a world where we all fit and we are all valuable.

Episode 5

Healing Through the Eyes of Diversity, Knitting and Finding Your Inner Self

Ata is a woman we met in her process of healing and discovering herself. In this episode, Ata tells us about the ways  she has found to heal and move on after experiencing a situation that forced her to prioritise her personal safety over her economic stability. She has found in art, in particular knitting, a way to express her feelings without having to speak. She uses an ancestral language that allows her to find peace. This rediscovered peace has allowed her to meet people who on the surface look different from her, but who in essence are looking for the same thing: peace, happiness and a change in a world that needs to recognise what is really essential.

Episode 4

The importance of including a diversity of intelligences on the path towards a better world

In this episode we speak with Tania Borges from Brazil. Tania is an artist who lives in Uruguay where she has worked for many years with homeless people, consumers, and neurodiverse youth. Tania talks about the importance of understanding that each one heals in different ways, that there are different intelligences that we need to value equally, and how we can only help others as far as our hands can reach. Tania is a living example of how a single person can change lives through love and dedication.

Episode 3

The Power of Dance and Music in the Fight Against Sexual Abuse

In this podcast we listen to a live conversation between Grupo Vivir Sin Miedo, moderated by Catalina Barragán Hinestroza. This group of girls and women, lead by Susana Fergusson (our guest in episode 1), performed a dance choreography on an adaptation of the song Canción Sin Miedo by Vivir Quintana. The same group recorded the cover of this song, produced by Upeksha. In this podcast, Valeria Escamilla, Susana Fergusson, Maria Alejandra Caucali, Eimmy Castañeda, Maria Paula Castillo and Catalina Barragán Hinestroza, discuss the meaning of this collective creation, in which they use dance and music to shed light on sexual abuse and femicide. This emotional conversation marks the 10 year anniversary of the passing of Susana’s daughter, Alejandra, a victim of sexual abuse. Simultaneously, the event marked the beginning of a new project launched by Susana Fergusson, focused on taking sexual abuse out of the closet. The dance video is available on Youtube and the cover of the song is available on Spotify. 

Episode 2

Changing the World Through Feminism and Deciding to Stay Childless

Tanja Gonzalez is a 20 year old feminist who changes the world from the bottom up. She was born in the south of Bogotá and has personally experienced the effects of the patriarchy that is still present in Colombia. But she has decided to take control of her body and her life. Now she is fighting against feminicides and for women's human rights. Tanja is one of the many women who are changing the world for everyone.