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Imagine standing in front of a room with the entrance covered by a thick black curtain. On the right of the curtain is the following message:

“Take off your shoes before you go in.”

Entering the pitch-black room, you are greeted by complete darkness. Your sense of vision completely dissipates. Your bare feet feel the soft floor, and loud, intense sounds take your full attention.

Can you imagine that? Would you like to be in such a room? What feeling do you think would awaken in you?

I was actually in a room like this in Cusco (Peru).

I was supposed to meet someone at Xapiri Ground, and while waiting, I discovered the dark room. The intense experience aroused my curiosity.

“Where am I, and who has created this installation?”

Outside the room, I found a screen showing a video. The video clip was from the Amazon Jungle in Peru. An Iskonawa man is rowing down the Amazon river. He sings a song to keep the boa snakes away. The video is part of the sound installation, and on the wall, I read:

“For this series 05, we feature artist Christian Munoz who sculpts a soundscape that conceptually conveys the relationship between the boa, the Iskonawa man, and the jungle. The Iskonawa people’s connection to nature can be observed through the resonance of their language and their design patterns. This composition seeks to deconstruct such relationships through sound, playing with elemental and sense perceptions that move the listener through territorial states of transgression and release.”

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I discovered Xapari Ground is a contemporary art center dedicated to grassroots work with the indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest. Their projects focus on art, culture, and a sustainable economy. That simple room evoked an intense experience and touched something within me. I had to interview Christian Munoz—the man behind the sound installation, in addition to working as a barista at Xapiri Ground.

“I am originally from Lima; during Covid, I was depressed. Life bored me. Lima is a very stressful city, people are only interested in money and I’m not interested in that, so I went to Cuzco to record an album. I enjoyed myself there. Life began to flow again, and I chose to stay, even though I only knew one person.” He told me.

Once again, the great mystery led me to another person who had chosen to create change in a dissatisfying life (I met several of them during my last trip to Peru)—people who were unhappy where they were and chose to take a different direction. They inspired me to make an interview series to show that change is possible. 

Christian is number 2 in my series of people who have stepped in to create change when life has become stagnant and unfulfilling. If you missed my first interview in this series, you can watch it here; All I could do was dreaming

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You can also visit my website and book an online coaching, sound, or body movement therapy session with me. If you have any questions about my services, please do not hesitate to email me. I promise I will not spam, sell, or inappropriately use your email address.

And would you like to travel to #perú but do not dare to do it alone? Contact me, and I will help you # organise your #trip
according to your budget!