Andy P. and Garifuna all-stars go east
Next week a delegation of Belizean musicians will be travelling halfway around the world to entertain audiences in Asia. Andy Palacio and the Garifuna All Star Band will be one of the main attractions at the Rainforest Festival in Malaysia’s Sarawak province, performing alongside groups from Africa, Europe and South America. According to Palacio, the trip not only represents an acceptance of Belizean music abroad, but will earn local artists the recognition they deserve.
Andy Palacio, Musical Ambassador
“I think they first got to know about us through promotional material, which Stonetree Records produces and hands out at music trade shows in different European countries. I think that they were able to see something different about our music. They were able to observe our style of drumming, the fact that we sing in a different language, in an indigenous language for that matter is of interest to these people from other countries. So I think these are the few things that make us stand out.”
“We will try to demonstrate Garifuna music in as traditional form as well as in its contemporary form, so that we will be doing some punta rock, some paranda, some unplugged acoustic stuff; we’ll vary it as much as possible. So we’re not going out there to spread the gospel of punta rock, because we’ve seen that other forms of Garifuna music are perhaps even more appealing than punta rock to an international audience.”
“Hopefully, through exchanges like this we open doors for other musicians because the whole idea is about getting Belize’s name out there and being recognised for something that’s from here. We could go out there and do rap, we could go out there and do reggae, but we take something indigenous from our country and we get appreciated for it. We’re not simply participating in this festival, we’re actually headlining this festival. So that makes us very special and puts us at the top of a pedestal, so this kind of honour only comes around once in a while and we really appreciate it.”
The musicians travelling to Malaysia include Paul Nabor, Denmark Flores, Dale Davis and Ryan Flores, while Joel Coleman, Diane Palacio and Rosita Baltazar will represent the Belize Dance Company. The Rainforest Festival ends on July fourteenth.
