An interview with Jimmy Arteaga, a malabarista in the streets of Riobamba, Ecuador. He touches on fear, money, and why he started juggling machetes. This is part one. I“m working on a more in-depth piece with him that should be done soon.
TRANSCRIPT:
My name is Jimmy Arteaga. IĀ“m 20 years-old and IĀ“m from the city of Quito, Ecuador and I learned at ten years-old, ten years ago. I learned with a friend on the street. I slept on the streets. I ran away from home and I was really hungry. And my friend said to me, āTake these balls and stop beneath the traffic lights and make enough for some food.ā And I made enough. And from there, since I made enough to feed myself, I liked it. Whenever I needed something I could go out to the traffic lights and made enough to buy the things I wanted.
I started with balls when I did this and I said, āI can already do this with two. I want to do it with three balls.ā And I took three balls. Then I said, āThree balls is too little.ā I wanted four and after I wanted five. Now I can do it with six.I have three machetes. ThatĀ“s not good enough for me. I have to learn until I can do four or five. As people see more art, they give more.
My family doesnāt like it but I donāt live for the words of others. I live for mine only. And I like it to do it and my family isnāt going to make me do something I do donāt want to do.
Yes, right, itās dangerous but also I make more money from this. But fear? No, I donĀ“t have fear. I can have fear if I hurt myself. IĀ“ve hurt myself a lot of times but after I donāt have fear. Why would I have fear?
Here, I live alone. I have my girl and my son but they live in Quito with the father of my girl. I live here alone and rent apartments because I stay here but I still travel to them. Her family has money. Theyāre all cops and cops make a lot. Why do they need my help? I help because later I donāt want them to tell me Iām an irresponsible father.
In reality, I do this for the money. I have my needs. I have to pay rent. I have to live. I live alone and so that I“m not home alone I leave and distract myself a little, come and talk to my friends out here.
There are times when people are really stressed, really discouraged, all of them and they see here and see what we do and the kids, the kids are really happy and for me thatās effective. I also do this because I see the people, I get to see them happy. I like when they tell me that the kids are happy.
For all the world, this is hard, learning is hard, while you are getting used to it and learning, and then it becomes easy. Have two hands and two feet. Have a complete body. Have a complete body and you can do this. And the mentality, because you have to take three machetes. With this, I learned numbers, to use math, to use numbersā¦
IĀ“m going to do this for another 5 years and then I have to look for more work because I canāt retire with this. IĀ“m going to do 5 more years and then IĀ“m going to look for a job, I donĀ“t know what. IĀ“m going to be productive. IĀ“m not going to be an old man with a cane, hanging out with the malabaristas.
We are free. All of my brothers are free. There are times that the police, not so much here but in other places, they say you canĀ“t do this, this is bad. They take it really badly. But no, we also eat, sleep, and we also have to live. And to live you need money, because I canāt live without money. The message I want to give is let usā¦let us show you what we know.