Born into a farming family in Guatemala, she faced discrimination. Now she takes her culture to stages around the world

Sara Curruchich began writing songs after experiencing what she calls “racism disguised as jokes” because she was both Indigenous and a woman. The Guatemalan Maya singer turned those experiences into music that has carried Kaqchikel culture to stages in Europe and South Africa.

Curruchich, 33, grew up in San Juan Comalapa, in the Indigenous community of Chimaltenango, about 80 kilometers northwest of Guatemala City. She is the youngest of six sisters. Her father, Eladio Curruchich, worked the land, while her mother, María Cúmez, was a weaver who also worked in private homes.

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racism disguised as jokes

Music filled the family’s daily life. Her mother sang and whistled while doing household chores, often improvising songs. Curruchich later recognized those creations as “wonderful forms of composition” found among Indigenous peoples. Her father also sang while working.

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wonderful forms of composition

At seven, she asked permission to attend classes with an instructor who had come to the town to lead religious choirs. She began imagining herself as a solo singer, although her father thought she was still too young. His death when she was nine marked her childhood. Curruchich says music allowed her to maintain a connection with him and reach “other dimensions.” She later moved to the city to pursue secondary-level music studies and graduated.

She began writing songs in 2011 while traveling regularly between Comalapa and the capital for her studies. Those journeys made her aware that people treated her differently because of her identity and gender. She described songwriting first as a personal process of “channeling” and “healing,” one that also strengthened her sense of identity.

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channeling

Her first performance of an original song took place at El Adobe, a restaurant in Comalapa that brought together members of the local cultural movement and no longer exists. In 2015, she posted the song on social media. On November 25 that year, she gave her first formal concert at L’Aperó, a pizzeria.

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healing