:''Punta is also the modern name of
Actium, a promontory and ancient town of western Greece in northwestern Acarnania, and a nickname for
Punta del Este, a location in
Uruguay. For the
genus of
grass skipper butterflies, see ''
Punta (butterfly).
'''Punta''' is a type of
music found primarily in
Honduras,
Guatemala,
Belize and
Nicaragua.
According to certain scholars, punta is the contemporary
electronic offshoot of an ancestral rhythm and dance of the
Garifuna people of
Central America, performed during
celebrations or festive occasions, with links to
West Africa and an ancient rhythm called
Bunda, or "
buttocks" in the
Mandé language.
Musician and visual artist
Pen Cayetano and the
Turtle Shell Band introduced this new genre to the world in
1978, at #5 Moho Street, in
Dangriga Town. Pen fused traditional Garifuna instrumentation including the
garawon (drum),
rattles, and
turtle shells with modern electronic instruments. His lasting legacy, however, lies in his lyrics, which gave the political, social and economic issues of the Belizean Garifuna people a global platform, and along the way inspired a new generation to apply their talents to their own ancestral forms and unique concerns.
Today punta musicians in
Central America, the
US, and elsewhere have made further advances with the introduction of the
piano,
woodwind,
brass and
string instruments.
See also
★
Garifuna music
★
Punta rock
douch
External links
★
Guatemala Punta Myspace
★
Garifuna New Generation Myspace
★
Honduras Punta Myspace
★
Belize Punta Myspace