Saturday evening, I attended an inspiring concert at the local theater here in Leon. A tribute to the recently passed Nicaraguan folk musician Salvador Cardenal, the show featured a number of Leon's great musicians as well as a few from further afield - Managua, Achoapa, Bluefields. Most were guitarists and singer-songwriters (my type of musician!) and they all had some kind of story to tell about their friendship and interactions with Salvador, how he had encouraged and inspired them to write songs and keep playing. It was clear that his influence on Nicaraguan music was deeply felt and he was beloved by many.
Salvador Cardenal wrote songs about Nicaragua, love, people and most of all, nature. He was best known for his passion for the environment and his appeal to all Nicaraguans to take care of their precious natural resources - the trees, the birds, the water, the earth. He was the musical Lorax; he sang for the trees. With his sister, Katia, he formed the Duo Guardabarranco, named for the national bird of Nicaragua. Listen to one of their songs below, Días de Amar:
On March 8th of this year, Salvador Cardenal passed away after a long struggle with a rare blood disease. He was only 50 years old, and left behind two young children, an impressive musical legacy, as well as a beautiful series of colorful paintings (he was a painter before he was a musician). His death is a true loss for Nicaragua, but if this concert was any indication, his music and messages will live on through all those whose lives he touched.
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