Scottish Monk Turned Nicaraguan Musician Spreads Songs of Hope

After breaking the vow of silence during his time as a monk, Paul Baker Hernandez has been using his voice to sing of hope.

For a long time the only thing Paul Baker Hernandez said was the Gregorian chant.

What pushed him over the edge was Bob Dylan. His sister snuck in his tape to the monastery in Scotland. With songs like ‘Blowin in the Wind’ and ‘The Times They Are a Changin”, he was hooked.

He left Scotland and moved to Nicaragua, inspired by the post-revolution atmosphere, a large contributor to his music.

It’s with these things in mind that the Brainerd Area Coalition for Peace invited Baker Hernandez to come perform.

It also gave audience members a chance to hear about a culture and history that they might not otherwise be exposed to.

Throughout his performance, he spoke of the people that brought change, like Victor Jara, a Chilean musician who was murdered by the military.

But despite events like these, Baker Hernandez remains hopeful that things will get better.