International music initiative supporting children & young people in El Salvador.

Music for Hope is a dynamic, community music project for young people from the Bajo Lempa of El Salvador, using participatory music as a tool for community development.

A Word from Katherine Rogers, Music for Hope’s Founder

Music for Hope started in 1996 as a collaboration between me; a then young enthusiastic music student, and a group of young musicians from the community of Nueva Esperanza. At that time, El Salvador was still reeling from the ravages of a twelve-year civil war in which more than 75,000 civilians were killed and over a million displaced, including the young musicians I was playing music with, who had grown up in exile and only recently been repatriated.  I had a tremendous respect for them and their communities and I wanted to give something back with the only medium I knew; music. Over the years this amazing initiative has grown beyond anything I could possibly have envisaged. Music for Hope now encompasses a range of partners, volunteers, trustees, teachers, community members and our hope-inspiring students. However, I am really proud that, at its heart, Music for Hope is still a grassroots initiative that really responds to young people’s desire to be creative, to have a voice and to give back to their communities.

Over the years, El Salvador has faced new challenges; hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, violent crime, gang warfare and ongoing structural inequalities.  Yet the people of the Bajo Lempa have risen to each new challenge and worked together to find solutions. Our students have played a key role in the transformation of the communities, both through supporting community events with their music, and using the skills they develop through Music for Hope to take up leadership roles.
Music for Hope is proud to be part of the history of the Bajo Lempa communities, and we look forward to walking with them into the future.

In this video the music band Fuerza Tropical and their teacher Wilfredo say ‘thank you’ to Music for Hope and the donors who make their artistic expression possible.

About us

About us

El Salvador

central america

Find out more about the Central American country, and about the region of the Bajo Lempa where our project operates.

A group photo of tteam members in El Salvador

Our team in El Salvador

Nuestro equipo en el salvador

Read about the members of our team based in El Salvador, how and why they got involved, what they do and what they like best about the project.

Our team in the U.K.

nuestro equipo en el reino unido

Read about the members of our team based in the UK, how and why they got involved, what they do and what they like best about the project.

Donate Today!

Did you know you can now make a donation with PayPal Giving? Every penny you donate goes directly to funding our community music project in El Salvador. Help make a difference:

CD for sale

Buy our CD

CD for sale

Historias Cantadas Siempre Vivirán
Stories That Are Sung, Live Forever

Music for Hope Bands ‘Live’.

This CD is the product of a series of song-writing workshops held with the young participants of music for Hope in 2017-18.

Participants from the four music schools of La Papalota, El Zamorán, Nueva Esperanza and Amando López got together to tell stories and to turn some of those stories into songs. The stories ranged from a tropical version of the Brothers Grimm’s Musicians of Bremen, to local ghost stories, through to those reflecting their everyday lives, experiences and preoccupations.

The resultant songs included themes such as the foundation of their communities and the struggles of their parents, the impact of climate change on their low-lying coastal villages and farms, the difficulties some of them faced due to poverty and insecurity, as well as their hopes for the future. They were recorded live in the communities in 2018-19.

Music for Hope, 25 Years of Solidarity, by Kevin Hayes and Tony Luna

As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations, this book tells the story of Music for Hope from the perspective of students, teachers and activists. Through images by photographer Kevin Hayes and interviews conducted by Tony Luna, this book captures the essence, spirit and resilience of Music for Hope and invites a new generation of participants and supporters to get involved in securing the future of the project for the next generation of young people.

HOW TO HELP

How to get involved

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