Chief Nitsuga Mangore

We have to understand the situation in which he was at that time, around 1930. I recommend you to read my complete biography to understand better.

Around that time he had been playing concerts in Buenos Aires, with a public that rejected, even humiliated him. He had a desire to transform himself, abandon "Agustín Barrios" and become someone else. This, combined with the love and pride that he had for his roots culminated in the birth of Chief Nitsuga Mangore.

But why that name you ask? Well, nitsuga is simply agustin spelled backwards. He used it just for phonetic reasons, it sounds "guaranitic". And Mangore, well, he has his story:

Mangore was a chief of the timbúes, one of the tribes of the Guarani nation. In 1527 the explorer Sebastián Gaboto was the first European to sail and explore the Rio de la Plata. He founded the settlement Sancti Spiritus on the banks of the Parana river, in present day Argentina. The timbúes were friendly with the spanish visitors, and frequently went to trade with them.

In Sancti Spiritus there were a couple, Sebastián Hurtado and wife Lucía Miranda. Mangore fell in love with Lucía, and soon made gifts to her. Being a good mannered woman, she of course rejected the offerings of the "savage". Mangore then decided to possess her at all costs.

Mangore made a plan and, when Sebastián Hurtado was away from the settlement on a mission, he launched a surprise attack on Sancti Spiritus. It was a hard fight, and he was killed. This is the end you ask? No, the timbúes were victorious, and the spoils fell to Mangore's brother, Siripo (including Lucía). He carried her and tried to force her to marry him, but she would have none of it.

At some point, Sebastián returned, and realizing that his wife had been taken away went after her, eventually being taken prisioner himself. Lucía pleaded to spare Sebastián's life. Siripo consented but only if Sebastián chose an indian wife and the further condition that she and Sebastián would no longer be involved as man and wife. The guarani had the tradition of trading wifes as a sign of friendship, well, this is a distorted version of it.

"Unfortunately", Sebastián and Lucía well caught some time later doing things only man and wife should do. She was burned at the stake and he was shot full of arrows.

Mangore was a Guarani folk hero who died "in pursuit of love". Barrios had a very clear idea of what he intended to portray and the name he adopted would be a very important part of it.

In Guarani mythology there is a lot of legends that explain the origin of many things. Many of these legends explain the origin of plants and animals beginning with conflicts of people. Agustín Barrios had this in mind and wanted something like that for himself, so he explained his origin with the following poem:

Tupá, the supreme spirit and protector of my people,

Found me one day in the middle of the greening forest,

And he told me: "Take this mysterious box and reveal its secrets"

And enclosing within it all the songs of the birds of the jungle

And the mournful sighs of the plants,

He abandoned it in my hands.

I took it and obeying Tupa's command I held it close to my heart.

Embracing it I passed many moons on the edge of a fountain

And one night, Jasy (the moon, our mother),

Reflected in the crystal liquid,

Feeling the sadness of my indian soul,

Gave me six silver moonbeams

With which to discover its secrets.

And the miracle took place:

From the bottom of the mysterious box,

There came forth a marvelous symphony

Of all the virgin voices of America.

Around 1930 he started to present himself in concert as "Nitsuga Mangore, the paganini of the guitar from the jungles of Paraguay". He wore complete costumes of indian, with feathers and even bow and arrow.

Read his complete biograpy

Visit the list of his compositions

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