'Junkyard Orchestra' turning trash into tunes
A poverty-stricken town in Paraguay built on landfill has used rubbish to create an orchestra that is getting worldwide attention.
Cateura is a town built on a rubbish dump and its residents are some of the poorest in the world.
Almost everything in the town in constructed from reclaimed landfill items, but from the trash they have created something beautiful.
Cateura is home to an orchestra of violins, trumpets, drums and just about any other symphony instrument. All made from the rubbish they live on.
In a story to air October 4, Sunday Night meets inspiring resident Nicolas Gomez who transforms oil tins, chemical drums, forks, spoons, bottle tops and other discarded junk into beautiful instruments.
“Almost everything comes from the landfill,” Gomez says, showing reporter Denham Hitchcock how he makes a double bass, "[this is] a drum, a chemical drum."
With instruments to play, the orchestra’s founder and conductor Favio Chavez now gives kids with no future a chance to see the world through music.
And they have this opportunity because 'Landfill Harmonic' is now receiving invitations to tour the world, perform in classical concert halls and even play with major international rock bands including Metallica.
“[There’s] no school. And [kids] end up working up there in the landfill," he says.
“With the kids, we try to change their minds, we try to change their families. We try to change the community and we try to change a little bit of Paraguay.”
Ada Mirabel Rios Bordados, 16, plays a violin made from an old tin and it is her most prized possession.
An actual violin would be worth more than her family's house.
“The music taught me how to feel more alive… it really helped to change my life, to be a different person," Ada said.
“I want to be a musician. Being able to help the community and teach other kids music.”
Favio Chavez explains in the story how the people of Cateura have adapted to their life of reclaiming other people's rubbish.
“People here in Cateura see the garbage not as garbage… here garbage is something that you can use to do something else." Chavez says.
Watch the full story this Sunday on Seven at 7PM.
Follow the Landfill Harmonic Orchestra on Twitter
