Centro Cultural de Managua

On the afternoon that I wandered through, these lovely young ladies were finishing a folklorica class at what I call El Centro Cultural de Managua. That may not be its correct name -- does anyone know? It is located at the corner of Caratera Norte and the road to the Malecon.

The mere existence of this cultural haven speaks volumes of the unquenchable quest of the human spirit for beauty among ruins. The building that houses the Center is hidden away, but its balconies overlook the open space along Caratera Norte. Directly next door are the remains of a structure that was either demolished by the 1972 earthquake, or left unfinished sometime in the distant past. But within the Cultural Center, a lively intellectual and artistic environment awaits!


When I visited, I freely walked the halls after negotiating entry with the ladies at the front desk. Inside I found the whole place alive with children and music and dance. At the "Escuela de Musica Nacional", lessons are given in piano, violin, flute, oboe, violin cello, cymbals, trumpet, saxaphone, drums, cornet, and "mongol" and "contra vajo". In addition, I found students studying painting, ballet, and folklorica.

As I wandered through the halls, I discovered signs indicating the offices of many national cultural organizations and workshops of nationally known artists. These included: Nicarib, Imaginarte, Grupo Autonomo de Teatro, Comedia Nacional de Nica, Sindicata Nacional de Musicos, Asociacion Nicaraguense de Cinematograpfia, Arte-Estudio Valverde, Escuela Nacional de Danza "Adan Castillo", Escuela Nacional de Teatro "Pilar Aguirre, plus the workshops of Rodrigo Penalba, and Roger Perez de la Roche and others!

It should come as no surprise then to find a lovely mural on one of the walls in a hidden alcove. At the lower right, it is labeled "Madriz", Managua Nicaragua, C.A., but it doesn't appear to be signed.


In the central courtyard, there are a variety of sculptures, that seem to be also unsigned, but I thought they were delightful!

An unexpected find was a whole series of framed newspaper articles and historic photographs along the walls of the first floor, showing downtown Managua before the 1972 earthquake, and in the immediate aftermath of that disaster. There was also a photo of the Managua cathedral being built in 1931, a photo of the Gran Hotel, the railroad station of the Pacifico de Nicaragua (1927-1954), aerial shots of central Managua dense with buildings, and grand vistas of Lake Managua and the volcanoes. Unfortunately the clippings and photos were not protected from the light, and were definitely showing their age by discoloration and fading. It would be a real treasure to find a way to preserve these historic images.