The First Panama Flute Festival

Dafne Guevara, Manuel Ruiz Acosta, and Valentin Martinez are the founders of APAFLUT (Asociación Panameña de Flautistas), the brand new and first flute association in Panama.  

Fluterscooter was a Guest Artist of their first flute festival this summer in Panama City.  In this interview, she asks them about the festival, starting a flute association in Central America, and the flute and music scene in Panama.

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Explain a little about your background and how you founded APAFLUT:

 

Dafne: When I was studying in the USA, I saw a video of kids holding guns. The kids were barely 6 or 7 years old, and they were talking about killing people. These kids were reflecting all the hate that the older people had against society, and it was reflecting how hate can be passed down. I was thinking how sad it was for me, and that the government is not helping too much. They care about other things instead of education and culture. I used to live in one of these areas, so I know where these kids come from and what they see everyday. I said, we don’t need to wait for the government to do something; we have something beautiful. Let us use it, and take advantage of what we know, and all we know is to play the flute. We don’t have money. Manuel is also very enthusiastic, so we called and organized 40 kids and paid for pizza. One kid said he wanted to quit school, but saw what we were doing and your story, and now he will graduate and be someone. The kids said that we are their idols. After the first Panama flute “mini-festival,” we decided to create APA Flut.

It’s been 113 years since anything happened with the flute here. We are the new generation. We need this!

Without any money, I went back home and talked to Prof. Almarza, and he said he would support it. I went back to UNLV, and Dr. Grim was also on board. After that, I had a lot of opportunities to write projects for fellowships, and I won one fellowship through UNLV. I’d also write to friends of flute foundations and explain about the project, and I got a lot of support.

Manuel: My sister is a lawyer, and she helped us with all the legal things we needed to create APA Flut in Panama.

Was it difficult?

 

Manuel: It was VERY difficult, especially since we don’t have money, but luckily my sister helped.

Valentin: We did 4 recitals to earn money to pay for the creation of the association.

Dafne: We owe everything to the kids. Ever since we gave them the idea that we’re starting the flute association here, they knew we didn’t have money, but they said they still have flutes. From January until last week, the kids have been presenting recitals to get money. We sold tickets to the recitals, and advertised mostly on Facebook.

Is this an ongoing flute association? What are your responsibilities until the next festival?

 

Dafne: Besides getting sponsors, it is to keep the kids motivated. We don’t want to give them something beautiful like this, but then have it go away. I want these kids to be someone and be inspired.

So you’re really empowering these kids.

 

Dafne: Exactly. We are giving them power and educating them. We are teaching them that respect is important, and to be humble is important, and you have to work hard for it!

What are the ages of the kids?

 

Dafne: The kids are 12-21 years old, middle school through college.

Manuel: We have 1 kid here from a very dangerous place called Colon. He is doing his best to finish his flute career, because he doesn’t have the resources to complete it or own his own flute right now.

Dafne: None of the kids have their own flute right now. They use the flutes from the school band program, but they still work.

Do the students take privately, or is it mostly through band?

 

Dafne: It’s mostly through band, so they learn by themselves. Valentin teaches them, also Rommel Charpentier.

Explain the role of Eduardo Charpentier in the Panamanian flute world.

 

Dafne: He taught us all in Panama. This festival is honoring Dr. Eduardo Charpentier del Castro. He’s 90 years old, and I was his last student. He has several brothers, and his youngest brother was a student of his, and we are students of his brother also. That is the flute lineage in Panama.

There is one symphony orchestra in Panama City, correct? Besides that, is Panama more focused on concert bands?

 

Dafne: Right now, it’s marching bands. Marching band is the boom right now in Panama.

Do you see any more orchestras or chamber music groups forming?

 

Dafne: Right now, the National Institute of Culture is trying to build an orchestra, and they are also working with kids who come from lower income places.

This is a movement, and we’re happy to be a part of it!

 

I think it has to do with the fact that there’s a new generation. There are people like me, who have gone outside the country and have seen how things work, and we really dream that for us. We understand that the only way we can help our country is throughout education and the arts, and flutes.

Are you looking for sponsors? What is your ideal sponsorship?

 

Dafne: Yes. An ideal sponsor would be someone who stays with us from Day 1. The most urgent things we require now are the flutes, especially low flutes. We don’t care about what brand, as long as the kids can play them. Latin American Music Workshop is excited to work with us and do maintenance on the flutes, so we already have a company willing to help us; we just need the flutes, and that is what we are trying to do right now.

Do you expect more students next year?

 

Dafne: YES! This year, we were actually expecting two 17 year old kids from Venezuela, and unfortunately the political situation in Venezuela is very difficult. They confiscated their passports as soon as he got to the airport. The authorities sent the kids back home, even with official invitiation letters. It was sad because they had a dream to come to the festival.

Manuel: You know the situation in Venezuela, so it was a great effort to buy the tickets, and they didn’t get their money back. Next year, somehow, we will bring them here. They need to be here.

Do you see more countries coming to this in the future? Which ones?

 

Dafne: The countries where they do not have the opportunity to experience things like this, especially Honduras, which is here. These kids are amazing, and they live in the middle of the gangs and the ghetto. Jessie Godoy was able to find sponsorships for most of them, and they’re here and so amazed with everything.

All the kids are so enthusiastic, and that is our motivation to keep going!

Manuel: Next year is only going to be bigger and better!

Please visit APAFLUT to learn more about the festival and association, and to make a donation.