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Rainforest Concert

The Event
A full house of over thirty residents and guests attended A Concert in the Rainforest, the first annual fundraiser for Costa Rica's Fundacion Matapalo. Recorded live for the Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) the concert, featuring Canadian performance artist Daniel Hebert and local Marimba duo Hermanos Perez, was also covered by The Tico Times, Latin America's leading English Weekly. The Matapalo Foundation, headed by Belgian social entrepreneur Stijn de Witte, is dedicated to the exchange of culture and ideas while in direct contact with nature.

The Venue
The event took place at Java, Stijn's hand-built home/culture club high above Playa Matapalo in the primary forests of San Andreas. Surrounded by treetops and wildlife this shelter-cum nightclub is alive with the awesome diversity of the jungle. Toucan's, parrots, and white-faced monkeys are all regulars at Java and its candlelit jungle ambiance is like nowhere else in the world.

The Concert
The crowd grew steadily as small groups of guests arrived by 4X4 and dirt bike along the three kilometres of winding mountain road. Upon arrival each guest received a quantity of Java dollars, which could be redeemed for food and drinks, and was invited to settle in to tuna tartar appetizers and cold cerveza Imperial.

The evening started off with Marimba Marivel Hermanos Perez, a father and son team from nearby Quepos and their five-foot green and red marimba that, two months earlier, could have easily passed as a homemade Christmas tree. With mallets in both hands the two musicians created jaunty, tropical sounds by striking the marimba's narrow steel strips laid out from small to large over the length of the instrument.

Playing only the lower registers the larger, younger Perez kept rhythm by repeating a similar riff throughout the entire performance. To his right the elder Perez, sporting a large cowboy hat and handlebar moustache, led the duo through a series of five, strangely familiar merry-go-round melodies the way an old cowhand might take a group of toddlers on a pony ride.

Following the Hermanos Perez a brief overview of Fundacion Matapalo was given and guests were encouraged to think about how, in the spirit of the foundation, they could participate in the exchange by sharing ideas and discussion following the evening's performances.

Daniel Hebert kicked off the first of his two sets with Elvis Presley's That's Alright Mama, immediately capturing the attention of the crowd who happily hummed along to the chorus. For the next half hour Daniel performed a number of moving original songs including several new compositions. A short break followed during which healthy portions of delicious bouillabaisse and Imperial beer were doled out. Daniel then concluded the evening with three up-tempo songs Yellow Dog, Swoon Pleasure and Heart Thirsty.

As the concert ended conversations launched from every corner of the room, many of them lasting well into the night. Meanwhile Club Java locals took to the dance floor to shake and shimmy doing their best to entertain the wildlife.

Located in the primary forest jungles of San Andreas, Costa Rica, Fundacion Matapalo is dedicated to the exchange of culture and ideas while in direct contact with nature. Here one is encouraged to share and celebrate with others while the incredibly diverse rainforest setting provides a sense of responsibility towards each other and the environment. For more information please visit http://www.matapalo.com

Posted by pike at February 18, 2004 12:36 PM