Social Guitar Suite: Music to Awaken Awareness and Sow Hope
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47633/dgpxsm29Keywords:
Music, Pedagogy, Natalia Esquivel Benítez, score , sheet music, GuitarAbstract
In a global context that demands sensitive and creative responses to social and environmental challenges, Costa Rican composer Natalia Esquivel Benítez offers a work of profound ethical and aesthetic resonance: Social Guitar Suite. Conceived for solo guitar, this suite emerges as a musical proposal that weaves together sonic poetry with social commitment, pedagogy, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Composed of seventeen movements, the work journeys through soundscapes that evoke natural beauty, the memory of peoples, and a deep commitment to future generations from both social and ecological perspectives. From hopeful lyricism to forceful protest embedded in its strumming, each piece invites reflection, inner dialogue, and a renewed commitment to life in all its forms. The suite appeals not only to artistic sensitivity but also to critical thinking, through an aesthetic shaped by Impressionism, traditional Latin American music, and a contemporary view of the guitar as an instrument of change.
The compositional approach reveals a search for expressive simplicity without sacrificing depth. There are moments of serene contemplation, where arpeggios flow like transparent rivers, and others of telluric force that connect with the earth and ancestral roots. Here, the guitar becomes a medium to tell stories, raise voices, and sow awareness.
In her performance—available through the album on digital platforms—the composer herself delivers each section with restraint and emotion, emphasizing the work’s narrative and spiritual character. The recording not only documents an artistic proposal but turns it into a sensitive and accessible experience for diverse audiences.
As an educator, artist, and cultural promoter, Esquivel has incorporated this suite into educational programs and social transformation projects, as highlighted by her presentations at the National Technical University (UTN) and through cultural and educational media. Social Guitar Suite is not merely a collection of concert pieces; it is a tool for dialogue, an invitation to build community through music, and a living example of how art can serve a pedagogical and transformative purpose, fulfilling its role within the humanities.
In times that call for a new ethic of care and cooperation, this work stands as a creative beacon, illuminating the crossroads of art, ecopedagogy, and global citizenship. We invite you to listen, learn, and perform it.
SUITE GUITARRA SOCIAL
YouTube Playlist
Downloads
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Natalia Esquivel Benítez

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The Arjé Academic Journal is governed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License, which can be consulted at the following link:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.en
According to this license, you are free to share, copy, and redistribute the material in any medium or format. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms described below:
-
Attribution: You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
-
NonCommercial: You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
-
NoDerivatives: If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.
-
No additional restrictions: You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
-
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation.
-
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.