Santa Helena to host first Prosa e Viola regional festival

The first Prosa e Viola do Lago de Itaipu festival is scheduled to take place in Santa Helena on September 12. The event will bring together students from the musical training project and established viola caipira groups from municipalities bordering the Itaipu reservoir.

Announced by project cultural coordinator Marcos Rafael Pires, the initiative is part of the Esporte e Cultura no Lago de Itaipu agreement between the Conselho de Desenvolvimento dos Municípios Lindeiros and Itaipu Binacional. The project aims to promote regional culture and musical development through the teaching of the viola caipira.

In its first stage of 2026, the project provided 480 vacancies, with 30 students in each of the 16 participating municipalities. The training cycle lasts ten months and covers musical learning and artistic development. Participating locations range from Mundo Novo (MS) to Foz do Iguaçu, including Guaíra, Marechal Cândido Rondon, Santa Helena, Medianeira, and Santa Terezinha de Itaipu.