Introduction

Flavio Galo M. ( ∗ 1958  /  † 1994 )

The Flavio Galo Marimba School is the cultural project of the Flavio Galo Foundation. It was founded in 1996 as a cultural and social initiative in remembrance of the Christian singer Flavio Galo. In fifteen consecutive years, more than eight hundred children, youth, and adults have been taught the art of marimba playing. The marimba school has a group of between twenty three and twenty eight young marimba instructors. A lot of them started at an age of around eight and have at present played the marimba for fifteen years. They now teach students that are new to the instrument how to do the same. Recently, we have added guitar lessons. Being nationally recognized by the Nicaraguan Institute of Culture, the Flavio Galo Marimba School is one of a kind in Nicaragua.
Another important work that the marimba school is doing is preparing new instructors of marimba and guitar for other similar cultural initiatives in the Catholic Church of Waslala (2 instructors), Oscar Arnulfo Romero Community Center of Nandaime (2 instructors), Women’s Penitentiary System, “La Esperanza” (3 instructors and 12 students), and Hogar Zacarías Guerra in Managua (45 students).
The Flavio Galo Marimba School is located in Hogar Zacarías Guerra (a protection home for children), which offers without cost, by means of an agreement of cooperation, a suitable infrastructure to teach a total of 280 students how to play the marimba and the guitar. Of these 280 students, 75 students of limited financial resources are granted scholarships by the Flavio Galo Foundation to receive free marimba and guitar lessons.

Father Andrés Magán, director of Hogar Zacarías Guerra, and Elizabeth Galo, president of the Flavio Galo Foundation and director of the Flavio Galo Marimba School, signing the agreement of cooperation on June 3, 2007. To see pictures of the Flavio Galo Marimba School in Hogar Zacarías Guerra click here.

Objectives

1) To rescue and promote Nicaraguan cultural values like playing marimba, playing guitar, and other arts.
2) To contribute to the forming of a better life for children and youth. Especially to those with limited financial resources and/or who are in risk of abuse.
3) To create a healthy environment for their formation and recreation, and so contributing to the excercise of their rights and responsibilities.

Activities

• Teaching children, youth, and adults how to play marimba and guitar

• Forming young marimba and guitar instructors

• Offering musical presentations of a religious and charitable character

• Making international trips for cultural and religious exchanges

• Performing musical concerts with monetary reward with the purpose of self-support

Beneficiaries

• 280 children and youth that are learning how to play marimba and guitar

• 75 students of limited financial resources from different places in Managua who receive free lessons.(45 from Hogar Zacarías Guerra and 30 from different neighborhoods)

• Between 23 and 28 marimba instructors that receive financial help in the form of school scholarships

• 4 teachers (2 of marimba and 2 of guitarra) that receive economical support for teaching marimba and guitar classes

• Indirectly, people, and religious and social sectors that can enjoy the music that the marimba school performs.