Gonawindúa, The Heart of the World
"Gonawindúa, The Heart of the World" is a unique and exciting performance staging the Kogi’s environmental knowledge through theatre, dance and music, coproduced by the Colombian Ministry of Culture. It was jointly created by award-winning Colombian theatre directors Nube Sandoval and Bernardo Rey, with Organización Gonawindua Tayrona, the representative body of the Kogi. This is a first-of-its-kind artistic project harnessing Kogi knowledge of paramount environmental relevance. Due to the trust that has been built during the creative process and the urgency of the climate catastrophe, the Kogi have decided to reveal much of their knowledge considered secret and sacred. Never-before seen ancestral dances, songs of reverence to the Earth as well as a replica of the recently returned mask will be showcased to transmit a profound and timely message, bridging the indigenous and non-indigenous worlds through art. In charge of the play’s music production is Grammy award-winning music producer Christian Castagno.
Crucially, the creative process has strengthened the transmission of ancestral knowledge from the elders who teach and advise the actors during the workshops. They guide the process of adaptation and train the actors in their ancestral dances and songs as well as impart the ancestral knowledge from which the piece is devised.
“This is a play that has great power because it comes from the indigenous elders who want an alternative way of expressing their thought system to the non-indigenous. This makes it incredibly powerful, strong, important and it’s what we need in the West, to change our mindset.” Juan Mayr, former Colombian Minister for the Environment.
“To me, these theatre workshops feel important because they are related to our own culture. I can see that in the theatre they use masks like our elders used masks. We are maintaining, preserving, conserving our culture and in doing so we are giving the world our message so that the younger brothers (non-indigenous) can understand us. Why do we dance? We dance to connect or to communicate with the rain, with the water and with the plants so that they feel better. This is why I think doing these theatre workshops is so important.” Arregoces Sauna Simungama, Kogi actor.
“It is time to spread our message further so that people understand reality, what is happening in the Sierra, in nature and in the world in general. The actors are learning. The project is directed theatrically by Nube and Bernardo and I direct it spiritually. I see theatre as a method, a way of making a payment, of giving back to the Earth, a payment for a change of mentality, of attitude, of spirit.” Mama Luntana, spiritual leader of Tunguexa.
