Free Education
Children can attend lessons without cost, making music accessible to local families.
BÖËNA ARTICLE
The Music of Their Roots
How Tortuguero’s Children Are Keeping Caribbean Traditions Alive
Drums, congas, tambourines and cowbells fill Tortuguero’s community center as a new generation discovers the rhythms of its Caribbean heritage. At the center of it all is musician and teacher Marlo Cabezas.
01 — A Classroom Full of Rhythm
Where Music Becomes Memory
The children play drums, congas and tambourines while Marlo sings and keeps time on a cowbell, conducting his miniature orchestra at the Centro Comunal in Tortuguero.
This is the Escuela de Música Caribeña, a new community music school with a clear mission: to teach local children the Latin American and Caribbean rhythms of their roots before those traditions disappear.
“The thing is, in this region they’re losing calypso and many of our roots.”
— Marlo Cabezas
02 — Culture as Community Development
A Project Supported by Tortuga Lodge
The school is funded entirely by Tortuga Lodge, which supports Marlo’s work as instructor.
The initiative reflects Böëna’s broader approach to sustainable tourism: protecting natural environments while helping local communities create meaningful opportunities through education, culture and employment.
Cultural Preservation
Traditional Caribbean and Latin American rhythms are passed to a new generation.
Community Pride
Students learn that their own cultural heritage is worthy of study and celebration.
Future Opportunities
Musical skills may eventually support performances, tourism and local employment.
03 — Why Calypso Matters
A Caribbean Tradition at Risk
Calypso is lyrical, soulful and deeply connected to Afro-Caribbean history. Its rhythms carry stories, humor, identity and collective memory.
Yet in Tortuguero, Marlo says only one musician remains who still plays the style. Teaching the music to children is therefore more than an artistic exercise; it is an act of preservation.
More Than Entertainment
Traditional music helps a community recognize itself. When children learn the rhythms of their region, they gain a deeper connection to their history and a stronger sense of cultural belonging.
04 — Marlo’s Musical Journey
Learning the Rhythms of Latin America
For Marlo, the project is deeply personal. After studying music and music education in San José, he realized that many Latin American academies emphasized European traditions while giving less space to the music of the region itself.
He began traveling to understand those missing rhythms firsthand, visiting countries throughout Central and South America as well as the United States and Europe.
“If we keep going to the same places in Latin America, listening to the same music, we’re going to be eating the same hamburger. You don’t enrich yourself about the culture, the sharing and the exchange between the tourist and the community.”
— Marlo Cabezas
05 — The School Today
Twenty Students, Two Communities and One Shared Rhythm
20
Students currently participating
8–15
Age range of the children
2
Groups in Tortuguero and San Francisco
Free
Lessons offered Monday through Friday
Classes are held from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Students learn through percussion and string instruments, building coordination, confidence and ensemble skills.
Conga Drums
Bongo Drums
Cowbell
Guitar
Ukulele
Banjo
Quijongo
Tambourine
06 — A Dream Beyond the Classroom
From Lessons to Performances and Employment
The school hopes to create a band, organize concerts and bring live Caribbean music into hotels, restaurants and community events.
Additional instruments, including saxophones and trumpets, are already available. The next step is finding instructors who can expand the program and help more children participate.
“There’s a big need for live music in hotels and restaurants. That’s a bit of the dream we have — that later this will create jobs in the area, make a big impact on the culture and also attract tourism.”
— Marlo Cabezas
Planting a Seed
The impact begins with attention, education and time. By giving children a place to learn and perform, the school is helping them imagine futures rooted in their own community.
Keeping the Rhythm Alive
The Escuela de Música Caribeña is preserving more than songs. It is protecting identity, building confidence and creating a bridge between generations.
Every beat played by these young musicians carries the possibility that Tortuguero’s Caribbean traditions will continue to be heard.