My documentary about the Garifuna Culture. I'd like to Thank everyone for your support. If you would like to know more Garifuna culture you can check out Garitv.com

This is a visual preview of a CD of the Umalali project, which will be released soon on the new record label Cumbancha. It focuses on the amazing music of the women of the Garifuna community of Central America. More information will be available soon at www.cumbancha.com

World music enthusiasts around the globe are mourning the unexpected death of Andy Palacio, Belizean musician and leader of the international movement to preserve Garifuna language and culture. The Garifuna are a hybrid culture descended from African and indigenous Caribbean ancestors. Palacio's latest album Wátina ("I called out") released in 2007, propelled him to the international stage and sparked a cultural revival in his home nation of Belize. In November 2007 I had the honor to meet "Andy P", as he is affectionately known in Belize, and travel the country's Garifuna coast with him and his band, camcorder in hand. The trip was a homecoming for Andy following a whirlwind international tour in which he won the prestigious WOMEX award and the UNESCO Artist for Peace award. The trip also happened to coincide with the annual Garifuna Settlement Day celebrations in Belize, where Andy was the headliner and received a hometown hero's welcome.

Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective @ G.R. N'Nambi Art Gallery - NYC

Here's a clip of the Garifuna

Estado en Livingston fui a una misa en garífuna. Según el rito garífuna así empieza la misa.

Garifuna garifunas garinagu honduras caribbean indigenous people native american roatan tornabe Punta Sal Tela Jeannette Kawas

Aurelio Martinez Garifuna Soul concert at the Bliss Center for the performing arts, Belize City, 2005

Omar Suazo sings a Garifuna Song Chelsea, MA 12/16/06

The Garifuna Collective band comes to Chicago to deliver a breakthrough performance to a sold out audience. Led by Punta Rebels' Lloyd Augustine and Aurelio Martinez, the band played most songs from Palacio's last album "Watina". Lloyd and the band opened the concert with "Miami" in this clip.

Hopkins, Belize, is home to Lebeha Drumming Center, a place to learning and promoting traditional Garifuna drumming and dance. Led by Jabbar Lambey the villagers and youth play Punta, Paranda, and other dance rhythms and songs in a raw style—still unaffected by studio culture and the more commercial Punta-Rock. This video accompanies their second upcoming album; the first being Lebeha Drumming (innova Recordings) lebeha.com

"Aurelio Martinez: Garifuna Soul" did the second act performance for a live broadcast session hosted by WNUR 89.3 FM. Part of the 8th Annual World Music Festival taking place here in Chicago. Check out also the next clip...

Andy Palacio is credited with bringing the unique music and language of his Garifuna heritage to an international audience. When we arrived in Belize on January 15, 2008, his album "Wátina" was a huge hit. Tragically, Palacio passed away on January 19. The video shows scenes from the lovely Hummingbird Highway, and Belize City, taken as he lay in a hospital there, desperately ill, a fact as yet unknown to us all. Long live your memory, brother Andy. If you love this music, help keep Punta music and Garifuna culture from fading away: go and buy the record. Support land rights for indigenous and historically displaced peoples. Plan your travel so as to befriend, but not displace nor exploit, our neighbors. (Best quality version.) Includes lyrics in English.)

Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective @ SOB's - NYC

Agúzate TV recorded a spectacular event that honored the memory and life-long work of the Garifuna people's greatest cultural ambassador, Andy Palacio who passed away suddenly on January 19, 2008. This tour, organized to celebrate the recent worldwide recognition of Garifuna's greatest traditional musicians through the recordings "Watina" and "Umalali: The Garifuna Women's Project", continues in Andy's honor and features top Garifuna artists from these recordings plus notable additions. The Garifuna are a people residing in Central America, descended from shipwrecked African slaves and Carib and Arawak Indians, who have retained their ancestral language and traditions in the face of overwhelming odds. Old Town School of Folk Music is proud to offer this special concert presenting the endangered arts of this unique culture.

This was Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective LIVE at SOB'S in NYC, JUNE of 2007. You have DONE your PART to SPREAD the RICH CULTURE and HISTORY of the GARIFUNA people to the WORLD. Your FLESH is no more but your SPIRIT LIVES on through your MUSIC.

http://RainbowMaya.com - Here I am in Punta Gorda Belize wondering how to make an African Carribean drum like that of the Garifuna people. So I found this Garifuna Rasta craftsman and he was happy to make me a drum in the traditional style of his people with all natural materials from the jungle (except for the string). Check out this drum makers skill. If you want your own custom drum made, you can find him on the corner of Main St. & Church St. in Punta Gorda Belize. http://BetterInBelize.net

Video participante del Carnaval de Ceiba 2007

(Con.)"Aurelio Martinez" with his distinct Garifuna style of music. For more info about Aurelio, check out http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/belize/thestory.html

Video de Los Roland's de La Ceiba de la canción -" Garifuna Mix" Quizas la mejor o si no, una de las mejores canciones de Punta jamás hecha. En este video todavía estaba el Comandante Ubala. El sonido fué masterizado con la canción real. Espero lo disfruten y que les guste.

Baile Garifuna en Tela Atlantida, Honduras C.A.

Ballet Garifuna de Honduras

Garifuna kids dancing punta near the beach in Livingston, Izabal, Guatemala

punta garifuna en xela

This video was taken at Nature's Way Guesthouse in Punta Gorda, Belize. They are a traditional Garifuna group who performed for us. Toledo Ecotourism Association: http://www.teabelize.com/tea-programme/index.html