“People from all over,
heading in one direction.
They fly through the air, singing
to the beat of their hearts.”
The event’s song
Music: Bambulha
Lyrics: Eugênio Tadeu
Between 11 and 16 September, we attended the 17th Latin American and Caribbean Children’s Song Festival (MOCILYC) in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, at the invitation of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG).
Founded in 1994 in Havana, MOCILYC (Movimento da Canção Infantil Latino-americana e Caribenha) organises regular meetings — held in different countries across Latin America and the Caribbean — with the aim of fostering dialogue between artists, researchers, students, composers, performers and cultural professionals. These meetings aim to share, reflect on and promote children’s songs as a space for education, creativity and the strengthening of cultural identities.
On this occasion, the programme included activities aimed at the wider community, notably workshops, concerts and performances for children and families at iconic venues in Belo Horizonte. The programme also featured activities for the meeting’s participants, comprising workshops, seminars, lectures and other opportunities for sharing and reflection.
The Companhia de Música Teatral made its presence felt on several occasions, through Adriana Lopes and Helena Rodrigues, with initiatives that combined music, movement and reflection on musical practices and creativity in childhood.
More specifically, we held the Opening Lecture (‘Song and Wonder in Music for All Children’) and shared our experience in the ‘Colo da Terra – Musical Guidance for Children’ workshop (aimed at parents and babies) and in the ‘Mil Pássaros’ workshop (aimed at professionals and students in the arts).
We also had the privilege of leading ‘Feliz Encontro’ — part of UFMG’s ‘Viva a Música’ programme —, a moment of collective free improvisation in which everyone present took part through listening, personal expression and interaction.
MOCILYC served as a meeting place for people, cultures and different ways of thinking about and experiencing music in childhood, leaving a trail of empathy and hope in its wake.
Thank you for the peace you convey through your words and, above all, through your singing! It truly inspires a ‘song’ within our souls and makes our hearts beat faster. A beautiful mission that has spread throughout the world and is undoubtedly transforming many hearts – some of which were trapped in ‘cages’ – as they learn to fly once more.
Patrícia Mata, Music Therapy student at UFMG
An entire lesson in which music, body expression, mindfulness and movement had the children completely engrossed. No materials at all. Just a body. A voice. And presence. Sometimes, it is precisely when we strip away the resources that we realise the power of what truly underpins a musical experience. What a powerful music education!
Lívia Martins, music teacher, Brazil
Thank you to the founders of MOCILYC thirty years ago! Thank you to the organisers of MOCILYC in Belo Horizonte! Thank you to everyone who brought and shared warmth, joy and camaraderie!
Adriana Lopes and Helena Rodrigues
Photos: Élcio Paraíso
