Bolivar  

Lynn Hawken was composing music at age eight, first on classical guitar, then attending the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, soon augmented by visiting Sydney jazz-club sessions.

 

While studying medicine at Sydney University he joined a Peruvian/ Argentinian duo on keyboards. A brief bio of Simon Bolivar in an evening newspaper seeded the notion of trying to capture Bolivar’s incredible story in a musical genre.  

 

In the late 1980s Lynn met Warwick Abrahams, a Queensland-based academic and business person whose interests include political economy, marginalisation and the political manufacture of poverty. 

 

Warwick had travelled parts of South America and took to Lynn’s idea with shared enthusiasm. The 1992 controversial ‘celebration’ marking 500 years since Christopher Columbus arrived at what is now the Bahamas Archipelago inspired Warwick to travel to Venezuela, Columbia, Paris and Rome - locations significant to Bolivar’s tragedy - taking a draft of Lynn’s melodies with him, and on which journey he produced the script from factual events.

Upon the arrival of the Spanish in the 15th century indigenous Colombians were subjected to the jurisdiction of the Spanish Monarch and Christian God.

 

As indigenous persons were considered to be uncivilized, laws were paternalistic and benefits were available to those who converted to Christianity.  

 

Since 1492, many brave persons have died trying to protect and secure the rights of indigenous persons in South America. Simon Bolivar and Hugo Chavez were two leaders who attempted to champion indigenous interests – both were publicly derided and discredited before their deaths.