Atu Ram
Cuida el Agua
an homage to Palombo
Cuida el Agua / Care for Water
Atu Ram’s work consistently embodies a sense of transformation—both in his process and in the meaning of his pieces. His latest creation takes its name from a children’s song by Bernardo Palombo, the artist, musician, impresario, and founder of El Taller Latino who passed away in February 2024. Palombo wrote the song for Sesame Street in the 1970s, and since then, it has been sung by thousands of students at El Taller, in K-12 schools, and by musicians as diverse as rockero León Gieco, Dan Zanes, Rosalia Mowgli, and Argentine artists Leo Genovese, Quique Sinesi, and Timna Comedi.
The song plays with rhyme and the roots of language, while gently illustrating our fundamental relationship with water, both practically and culturally.
Hay agua en la tierra
There’s water in the land
Hay agua en el cielo
there’s water in the sky
Hay agua en la lluvia
there’s water in the rain
que moja el sombrero
that wets my hatHay agua que sube
There’s water that rises
Hay agua que baja
there’s water that falls
Hay agua en el charco
there’s water in the puddle
En el patio en la casa
in the patio of the houseHay agua en paragua
There’s water in paragua (umbrella)
Hay agua en Nicaragua
There’s water in Nicaragua
Hay agua en piragua
There’s water in piragua (canoe)
Hay agua en Paraguay
There’s water in ParaguayCuida el Agua, Cuida el Agua, Cuida el Agua, Cuidala
Care for Water, Care for Water, Care for Water, Care for it…
Ram has transformed “Cuida el Agua” into a poetic, living structure. The ocean presented here is a vast, spontaneous force that beckons and repels, nurtures and reflects. It is a symbol for movement and stillness, rising and falling as emotions, as breath, mirroring light and shadow, and capturing the passage of time.
Palombo’s song, originally written for the Children’s Television Workshop in 1975, has only grown more relevant over time. Its foresight stems from Palombo’s deep understanding of traditional cultures across the Americas, beginning with his own heritage in Argentina. His linguistic insights highlighted how "agua" is embedded in the words of many languages throughout the Americas.
Ram’s piece captures all these layers: the playful spirit of Palombo’s song, its gentle rhyme and melody, the urgent call for environmental awareness, the essential role of water, and the emotional resonance it carries in our personal lives. Ram also conveys the healing nature of water—how its look, feel, and sound offer connection, soothing and calming our souls.
