Vivir Para Servir
A Homage to Father Javier de Nicolo
by Juanlo
Servir Para Vivir is a thank you to the insatiable work of Father Javier de Nicolo, the founder of IDIPRON in Bogotá, Colombia. A centre that helps homeless youth to a better future. Juanlo wrote this song thinking about the importance of thanking the one who is responsible for making his dream to study music come true. Juanlo always wanted to study music and art but for economic reasons he was unable to do so, until IDIPRON, crossed his path. At the conservatory and at Serendipia, Juan has been able to learn to play instruments and perfect his artistic skills. Thanks to the importance of this organisation in his life, Juanlo decided to write this song in gratitude to the work of Javier de Nicolo.
Javier de Nicolo's life began in Italy where he was born, but as Juanlo says his "great work began here". The Father wandered the streets looking for those who lived in loneliness, merely accompanied by a needle or a pipe to provide warmth during the cold Bogotá nights. Years later he decided to found IDIPRON, which sought to give other opportunities to young people and children by replacing the drugs for education and art. Giving them a chance in life that society took from them. While Nicolo passed away in 2016, many of those children are now the teachers that continue his legacy to this day.
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Juan Lopez (Juanlo)
Juan Lopez (1996) is a rapper from Bogota who uses art to express his feelings and thoughts. He started by using Graffiti as his main form of creative expression. However, ever since he was little, he wanted to become a musician. He tried to enter a music academy to fulfil his dreams, but due to difficult conditions he was forced to let those dreams go. After working for a few years, he met a girl that that convinced him that there were other options to get what he wanted. She invited him to the conservatory of IDIPRON. Here, he retrieved his love for music. From that moment on, he decided to take ever opportunity presented to him to become the artist he wants to be. Juan also was part of a concert that brought together rap and the Philharmonic orchestra of Bogotá, where he performed his song De La Tierrita Crece.