Guadalupe Urbina, Guanacaste Costa Rica, 1959. From her early childhood, being the youngest of 10 children, she remembers her mother, Angelita Juárez, being her main source of inspiration. She introduced Guadalupe to traditional stories, songs and rhythms that later in life became her basis for her professional career. As an adult Guadalupe became a world traveler. She represented her country’s musical tradition performing throughout Latin America and Europe, in Central Africa, the USA and Canada.
Guadalupe can be found present in events that are about World Peace, Amnesty International, Women’s Liberation and Human Rights. In 1988, she performed at the National Stadium in Costa Rica with Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Tracy Chapman, Peter Gabriel and Youssou N’Dour.
Guadalupe works creatively with children and has developed several projects with socially challenged youth creating musicals that are performed throughout Costa Rica. She is so known and respected throughout Costa Rica and neighboring countries.
Guadalupe Urbina is also a painter and writer. She paints with acrylics and oils using paper made from natural fibers in tropical countries. Several of her paintings are available in limited edition museum quality Giclee prints.
The biggest source of inspiration for her paintings are the creation myths of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. She paints images that have deep philosophical meaning within rural indigenous or mestizo peoples such as quetzals, butterflies, snakes and trees in both distant and present time. Her stories and songs are based on the
myths and imagery of the peoples of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican.
Guadalupe represents the soul of Costa Rica for her people with these many dimensions of creativity.
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