The Sound of Paper

Adrian Villanueva is a craftsman, musician and ecowarrior. He has dedicated years of work to his instruments, all of which are completely functional; not just artistic.

His simple but innovative idea is to make instruments from recycled paper. Bolivians buy rubbish from ´developed´ countries such as America and Japan then sell it on the street. Which begs the question, why chuck it in the first place? For Villanueva, waste is priceless. He recyles paper to produce a unique sound. I asked him how playing paper compares with wood and he says there is no comparison. It´s impossible to describe the timbre of papier mache; you just have to hear it. His recyled products are so valuable that he refused to sell his armadillo charango, even when a Frenchman offered him 12.000 dollars for it!

His creations range from armadillos to coca leaves to Salvador Allende´s face. Evo Morales gave a few to neighbouring countries such as Chile as a diplomatic gift. But not all his instruments´ travels are high-profile. When Adrian flew to England, he was greeted with suspicion rather than respect. His face crumples as he recounts how a few of his instruments were perforated and ruined when customs presumed they were vessels for drug trafficking.

I´ve only seen a few items of his work but he´s prolific and has invited me back to his workshop to show me more. Check the Bolivian Express Website next month for a documentary about how to make them. And remember to think twice about what you throw away! 

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