Matsiko World Orphan Choir
Dixwell UCC
New Haven
Aug. 30, 2025
Leandro Bayona used to sing his heart out as a member of the Matsiko World Orphan Choir, a 17-year-strong program taking youth from around the world on a year-long U.S. tour to spread messages of unity and share information about Matsiko Children International, an education-based youth sponsorship nonprofit.
Bayona doesn’t sing as much anymore. But he still came to historic Dixwell Avenue Congregational United Church of Christ (Dixwell UCC) Saturday afternoon for Matsiko World Orphan Choir’s New Haven stop — this time, as a chaperone.
The choir has been on the road for the last five months, with four and a half months left of their tour. They started on the West Coast, then went south. They’ll end up in Nebraska, at their home base. And Bayona will be back home in Peru by January 2026.
“It feels good, because I’m doing something really great,” Bayona said. Still, he said, “nothing is like home.”
This year, the choir is made up of children from two countries: Peru and Liberia. One of the choir’s first songs was a harmonized a capella rendition of the Liberian national anthem. Then a backing track started up, and the choir quickly transitioned into a high-energy dance number about God, complete with synchronized claps and talented solos. Music filled the historic church, afternoon sunlight pouring through its windows.
The choir singers dispersed through the aisles, taking people’s hands. They pointed to individuals in the crowd as they sang and paused to show off complex footwork in their dances. One performer broke off to play a drum beat for a song. Other choir members alternated taking the mic and standing or dancing in the front for their solos. At one point, the choir members climbed on top of each other in a cheerleader-esque pyramid.
While the kids were stars for the afternoon, they also got some time to rest between performances. Every few songs, the choir would stop and sit down, breathing heavily from the aerobics they’d just done. In one of these interludes, Bayona walked in front of the resting children to take part in a quick comedic skit about how people live in the United States.
One of Bayona’s points was about the ease of washing machines in the States. His quip — “You just have to press a button, go to McDonald’s …” — got a big laugh from the audience.
Bayona started in Matsiko World Orphan Choir seven years ago and went through the organization’s sponsorship program to receive education, assistance with food and clothing, and community.
Juan, 13, who has been with the Matsiko World Orphan Choir for the past two years, said about the choir: “Es increíble” — it’s incredible. He said the organization is helping him continue his studies, and that he wants to be an engineer someday.
The choir’s next interlude was more somber. A clip featuring a 12-year-old girl named Alicia, the older sister of one of the choir members, played on a TV screen to the right of the altar. Alicia talked about her experience being removed from her family under false pretenses at age 6, and then being discovered by her aunt and reuniting with her loved ones. The video stated, “Trafficking deceives. Education provides a future.”
The kids reconvened, talking a bit more about Alicia, who herself had toured with Matsiko World Orphan Choir and is now studying at a university. Then the choir launched into more songs about love, joy, hope, God, and belonging. People in the crowd clapped along to the beat.
Juan proved himself to be a true professional, attempting to fix the bright orange floral hairband of the girl in front of him when it slipped from her head. When it was time for Juan’s solo, he sang loud and clear, and when he noticed a little feedback upon returning the mic to the basket, he even nudged the basket of mics away from the speaker.
The choir ended in a take on the “Battle Hymn of the Republic”, singing “glory, glory, Hallelujah” in rich tones with plenty of percussion backing them up. When they completed the show with their final, “His truth … is … marching onnnn,” the audience rose up from their pews to give the kids a standing ovation.
A representative from the organization invited attendees to peruse a table of handmade goods for sale near the entrance of the church, as well as the organization’s finances, which he said continuously reached the “highest standard” from watchdog organizations.
The choir walked away with an official notice from the New Haven Board of Alders and the Dixwell UCCCongregation, praising the children for their “extraordinary musical gifts” and promising to pray for the choir’s safety as they travel around the world.
