Lutz Kliche and Grupo Sal: Eduardo Galeano „story hunter“
Eduardo Galeano, born 1940 in Montevideo, was a journalist, essayist and autor of unorthodox historical works and he is still considered a figurehead of leftwing intellectuals in Latin America. He died in 2015 in his hometown. As an author, Galeano became world-famous with his second work, “The open veins of Latin America”. Scientifically based, but with elegance and poetry, he describes the history of Latin America beginning from its discovery, focussing especially on the colonial period. His last work was only published after his death and was released with the title “story hunter” in German in March 2018 (Peter Hammer publishing company). It contains stories about his childhood and youth, his first travels through Latin America and about the people who shaped him, but also about thoughts on death, with which the author dealt during his long illness of cancer. On the occasion of his second anniversary of death, Grupo Sal presented a program in honour of his work. Lutz Kliche, friend and translator of Galeano, read a selection of stories from the book, but as well from his complete work of the famous author. Fragments of self-read texts let his voice and the personality of the poet come back to life.
Gioconda Belli and Grupo Sal DUO: „Nicaragua: Hasta que seamos libres – Until we are free”
„I won’t die without seeing the liberated land“, she announced in spring 2018. The program holds an unusual connection between literature and politics: The reading of her own literary texts – presented by Viola Gabor in German – is combined with reports and analyses on the current situation in Nicaragua and in some cases expanded by a discussion block, moderated by Lutz Kliche. When you hear Gioconda Belli speaking, it quickly becomes clear, that there is still a fighter in her. From 1970 to 1990 she was an active member of the sandinist national liberation front and committed herself especially to educational politics and womens rights. Nowadays she faces the presidency of Ortega with an extremely critical voice and, despite being accused of being the protagonist of terrorism, she cannot be dissuaded from her militant engagement for a free Nicaragua. She always has hope and manages to transfer it to people with her impressive and somewhat mysterious personality.