Recycled Orchestra of Cateura

[3] The orchestra originated in the "Sonidos de la Tierra" (Sounds of the Earth) program (created and directed since 2002 by Luis Szarán)[4] and Procicla a recycling project of the Alter Vida NGO.

The music school began with the recyclers' children after Szarán donated ten guitars bought with proceeds from a tribute he received at Salemma Mall.

[11] The first group of Sounds of the Earth musicians with recycled instruments made their debut at the former Sheldonian Theater in Oxford, England as part of the Skoll Foundation's World Forum of Social Entrepreneurs on March 26, 2008.

The group played in the province of Santa Fe and at the eighth Youth Orchestra Encounter in Buenos Aires' Luna Park stadium with the Ensemble of Recycled Instruments Oxford.

Composed of young people from different communities who played instruments made from recycled material in the Cateura Luteria Workshop, they presented several concerts in Paraguay.

[22] The Sounds of the Earth project toured Paraguay for the country's independence bicentennial in May 2011, and the group has played in Lisbon, London, Hamburg and Berlin.

[29] The new orchestra appeared at Colombia's international Bogotá Basura Cero (where they were initially invited as part of Sounds of the Earth) in November of that year.

The new group appeared in a September 26, 2012 concert by Paraguayan guitarist Berta Rojas and Cuban musician Paquito D'Rivera as part of the "Traces of Mangoré" tour.

[35] Landfill Harmonic originally recognized the contribution of Sounds of the Earth from 2006 to 2012: "When Favio Chávez and Luis Szarán came to Cateura to start a music school, they realized that they had more students than instruments.

[36] The original video attracted international attention; the Recycled Orchestra received a Prince Claus Award, given to "individuals, groups and organisations whose cultural actions have a positive impact on the development of their societies", in May 2013.

It is unique in its ingenious use of humble local resources and a beacon of pride and hope for the local community ... Orquesta de Instrumentos Reciclados Cateura is honoured for bringing music and joy to many people; for their innovative and communal collaboration in using the resources at hand to create possibilities and transcend their difficult circumstances; for engendering self-esteem, community pride and social cohesion through musical expression; and for showing that culture is a human necessity and that material poverty need not be an obstacle to a life rich in culture.

[40] NPR's Anastasia Tsioulcas described the Recycled Orchestra's instruments in September 2016: "[violins made from] cans, wooden spoons and bent forks.

Fifteen-year-old Tobias Armoa plays a saxophone made out of a drainpipe, melted copper, coins, spoon handles, cans and bottle caps.

[50] With Juan Rojas and Félix Azcona (president and vice-president of the second parents' association), Chávez announced the provisional dismissal of the case for alleged breach of trust (requested by fiscal agent Stella Mary Cano on September 1, 2017) on December 7 of that year.