Paranda legend Paul Nabor hospitalized

One of Belize’s musical legends remains hospitalized tonight after he fell ill earlier this week. Parandero, Paul Nabor, has graced the stage many times, both on the local front and the world scene. But the seventy-four year old has been hospitalized since the eve of Garifuna Settlement Day. Marion Ali was on hand when he was transferred by air ambulance today from Dangriga to Belize City, and files this report.

Marion Ali, Reporting
He is described as a master Garifuna musician and the greatest living Parandero artist in Belize. In his 1998 hit release, “Naguya Nei” Paul Nabor sings of his dying sister and of how she wanted to be remembered in song at her funeral. Though Nabor is still with us, the words are eerily prophetic of his current health condition, brought on first by a stomach illness, then by more severe complications just prior to Garifuna Settlement Day in Dangriga.

This morning Nabor was air shuttled to Belize City where he remains at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. His niece, Phyllis Cacho, said she was at home in Dangriga on Wednesday night when she got the call that her uncle had fallen ill and was in the Southern Regional Hospital. Cacho said Nabor told her it was what he ate on Tuesday while in Belize City that first made him sick.

Phyllis Cacho, Paul Nabor’s Niece
“Ih tell mi ih mi eat wah tamales. So afta he done eat di tamales and drink wah seven-up, sprite, whole night ih noh sleep wid loose stool and vomiting.”

But Nabor’s condition soon worsened.

Ivan Duran, Music Producer
“The doctor started to suspect that it was some kind of a mild stroke and some of the tests were abnormal, especially his urine. There was apparently a very bad infection and added to that there is a heart condition as well, which nobody was aware of.”

Nabor’s friend and fellow musician from the Garifuna Collective, Giovani Chi, was taken by surprise when he received the news.

Giovani Chi, Musician, Garifuna Collective
“Anytime we goh anyway he want stay eena my room soh I check up pan ah and mek sure everything alright. Soh wen I hear dis ih really hit me check. Dat dah di legend ah Belize. Dat dah di only man weh I si go round dehn age and represent Belize all over the world. Everybody love him.”

Although his condition remains guarded, Nabor’s health has improved considerably over the past day.

Phyllis Cacho
“Ah like it because at least ih could seh something now. When ih want water ih seh ih want water, when ih hungry ih seh ih hungry. He’s aware.”

Ivan Duran
“I’m very encouraged by the fact that he can speak a little bit and also he’s very conscious of what happened. He remembered his birth date, today I was talking to him.”

Reporting for News Five, Marion Ali.

Paul Nabor retired from doing world tours after the death of Andy Palacio, with whom he performed along with the Garifuna Collective. His last local performance was in Belize City on Tuesday night.