In 1930, at just eight years old, María Bolandi already knew how to play the marimba—a talent that has accompanied her throughout her 102 years of life, earning her the title of the first female marimbist in Guanacaste and perhaps in the entire country.
Her remarkable journey was honored on March 20 when the National Institute for Women (Spanish acronym: Inamu) awarded her the Women’s Gallery Recognition, a distinction that highlights the contributions of women in defending, promoting, and advancing their rights.
María Bolandi’s recognition marks a double achievement since she is the first Guanacastecan woman to be inducted into this gallery and, beyond that, the first musician to receive this honor.
Four years ago, she was declared Liberia’s favorite daughter for her contribution to regional musical culture.
The other women in the gallery have dedicated their lives to fields such as science, politics, agriculture, and medicine.
Her daughter, Xinia Sandoval, recalls breaking the news to her on the very day of the event.
“That day, I told her: ‘Mom, we’re going to San José because they’re unveiling a photograph of you for being the first female marimbist in Guanacaste and Costa Rica, breaking the myth that it was only for men.’ ‘Would you look at that!’ was all she said—but with such joy,” Xinia told The Voice.
The Minister of Women’s Affairs, Cindy Quesada Hernández, and the Executive President of the National Institute for Women, Yerlin Zúñiga Céspedes, unveil María Bolandi’s portrait.Photo: Inamu
Professors and historians from the University of Costa Rica (UCR) Guanacaste Campus, Noylin Gutiérrez and Rocío Abarca, were the ones who nominated María Bolandi to be part of the gallery. For them, her legacy is significant because while Doña María has been honored in Guanacaste with various recognitions, “her legacy must transcend beyond the province” and can inspire other women “to keep fighting for their dreams and their place in history,” they said.
We have ensured that her story is known throughout the country, giving her the recognition she deserves in her lifetime,” the researchers told The Voice.
A woman of talent and determination
María Bolandi single-handedly raised ten children, supporting them by playing the marimba in venues such as the governor’s office and some of Liberia’s most renowned dance halls: El Mango, El Chunquín, Los Naranjos, La Reynalda, El Yomalé, and El Brasilia.
Prominent figures in Guanacastecan music, such as Héctor Zúñiga Rovira, author of Amor de temporada, and Jesús Bonilla, author of Luna Liberiana, shared their compositions with her so she could learn and perform them alongside them.
Although her talent was widely praised, María Bolandi had to take on jobs unrelated to her childhood passion. She worked washing and ironing clothes for others, selling chicha and flour empanadas, and cooking on farms, in restaurants, and at the Enrique Baltodano Hospital in Liberia, where she eventually retired.
This recognition is not only for her but for all the women who, through their art and effort, strive to be seen and valued,” said her daughter, Xinia Sandoval, during her acceptance speech.
“She not only mastered her craft with excellence but also turned her talent into a means of economic independence, raising her ten sons and daughters. Through her work, effort, and dedication, my mother embodied the true spirit of the Guanacastecan woman,” she added.
María Bolandi with Raziel Acevedo, former director of the UCR Guanacaste Campus and researchers Rocío Abarca and Noilyn Gutiérrez.Photo: Courtesy: Noily Gutierrez
Bolandi has also been honored with the title of “Matriarch Queen of Liberia” by the Felipe Pérez Artistic School and “Esteemed Daughter of Liberia” by the Municipality of Liberia.
Alongside her, two other women were recognized: Elizabeth Coto Chinchilla, the first woman to be admitted to the industrial engineering field within the Federated College of Engineers and Architects of Costa Rica (Spanish acronym: CFIA), and Joycelyn Sawyers Royal, a national legislator acknowledged for her role in securing constitutional recognition of Costa Rica as a multicultural and multiethnic country.
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