Guardians of Culture & Arts Foundation launches international initiative to preserve endangered heritage through music, film, and cultural awareness
LAS VEGAS, Nev. /New York Netwire – National News/ — For centuries, the first sacred music written in the Americas lay hidden in archives, waiting to be rediscovered. Now, an international effort is bringing those voices back to life. The Guardians of Culture & Arts Foundation (GOCA), a newly established 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Las Vegas, has officially launched with a mission to preserve, protect, and revitalize cultural heritage through music and the arts. Through international collaboration among artists, scholars, historians, and cultural leaders, the foundation seeks to rediscover endangered traditions and help communities reconnect with their identities.
GOCA’s inaugural event will take place August 1, 2026, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, California, where sacred Baroque music from Perú – silent for more than 300 years – will be reawakened in a grand performance.
ABOUT THE GUARDIANS OF CULTURE & ARTS FOUNDATION
Rather than focusing solely on archival preservation, GOCA emphasizes living cultural experience. Through documentary storytelling, concerts, and educational initiatives, the foundation raises awareness of traditions that still exist but are often overlooked – from music and language to culinary heritage and architecture. Proceeds are reinvested directly into the communities whose traditions are being preserved, supporting music education, instruments and training for young musicians, and programs that help sustain language and artistic heritage.
LEADERSHIP VISION
The foundation was established by Dennis Bonilla (Founding Trustee, Chairman & Chief Learning Officer), David Rodriguez (Founding Trustee & Chief Executive Officer), and Robert Golden (Founding Trustee & President) in response to a growing global need to protect endangered cultural expressions. Together, they envision a world where sacred traditions are not forgotten, but rediscovered and brought forward for future generations.
“Guardians of Culture & Arts exists to preserve, protect, and revitalize music and art as living expressions of cultural identity – not artifacts behind glass, but works that are performed again, studied again, and honored again,” said Dennis Bonilla, Founding Trustee, Chairman and Chief Learning Officer.
“Cultural identity lives in the music, stories, and traditions that communities carry across generations. When these works are restored and performed again, communities reconnect with their heritage and the world gains a deeper understanding of its shared history and unity,” said David Rodriguez, Founding Trustee and Chief Executive Officer.
“Cultural heritage is one of humanity’s most valuable resources, yet many artistic traditions are disappearing without recognition. Through initiatives like The Lost Music of Perú, GOCA is working to ensure these extraordinary works are rediscovered, performed, and carried into the future,” said Robert Golden, Founding Trustee and President.
THE LOST MUSIC OF PERÚ
“The Lost Music of Perú” is an international documentary and cultural project exploring sacred Baroque compositions from the viceroyal period – hidden in Peruvian archives for more than three centuries. These works reflect a remarkable fusion of European, Indigenous, and African influences that shaped the spiritual and cultural identity of the Americas. During the viceroyal era, Perú emerged as one of the continent’s most vital cultural centers, producing music, architecture, and visual arts that influenced the broader hemisphere, along with agricultural and culinary traditions that continue to shape global culture today. Through historical research, documentary filmmaking, and live performance spanning multiple countries, the project traces the rediscovery of these manuscripts and the musicians and communities working to restore them.
ABOUT THE AUGUST 1 EVENT
The concert is presented in coordination with the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels – Los Angeles, and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The concert, recognized by the respective embassies as part of the 200th year celebration of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Perú, will feature orchestras, choirs, and musicians from across the Americas performing rediscovered sacred compositions that have not been widely heard for centuries. The event will be streamed globally.
“This project represents more than a concert,” said Rodriguez. “It is a moment of cultural restoration – music that has been silent for centuries will once again be heard in a majestic sacred space, a setting designed for voices that endure across time.”
The concert will also be documented as part of a forthcoming film – ensuring its impact extends far beyond a single evening and into a lasting cultural record.
A GLOBAL CALL TO CULTURAL STEWARDSHIP
GOCA invites communities, scholars, supporters, and cultural partners worldwide to join this work. These traditions belong to all of us – and preserving them honors identity, memory, and the shared human story. To learn more or to become a Guardian, visit https://gocafoundation.org/.
EVENT INFORMATION
Title: The Lost Music of Perú – A Live Cultural Event
Date: August 1, 2026
Location: Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 555 W Temple St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Streaming: Available globally
Learn More: https://gocafoundation.org/the-lost-music-of-per
Learn More: https://gocafoundation.org/
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NEWS SOURCE: Guardians of Culture and Arts Foundation. Story was sourced from a press release issued by Send2Press® and used with permission. View the original story at: https://www.send2press.com/wire/global-foundation-launches-to-reawaken-cultural-identity/
