Social Guitar Suite: Music to Awaken Awareness and Sow Hope

Abstract

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