Hello, Garinagu in Garifuna are Indigenous of mixed-race descendants of West African, Central African, Island Carib, European, and Arawak people. Although their background is the Lesser Antilles, since 1797, the Garifuna people are from Central America, along the Caribbean Coast of Honduras, with smaller populations in Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua. They arrived there after being exiled from the islands of the Lesser Antilles by British colonial administration as Black Caribs after a series of slave revolts. Those Caribs deemed to have had less African admixture were not exiled, and are still living in the islands. Three wonderful albums up for grabs here ....
Today's artist is a self-taught musician multi-cultural sound, impressively managed to transcend his humble Honduras roots. He grew up surrounded by music, learning to sing from his vocally gifted mother and his troubadour father, building his own guitar from a fishing rod as a child, and performing in Garifuna ceremonies as a teenager. After playing professionally with various Latin ensembles while at school, he formed his own Garifuna group, Lita Ariran, and became a permanent fixture on the La Cieba music scene. After meeting Stonetree Records producer Ivan Duran, he contributed to a Paranda compilation and in 2004, released his debut album, Garifuna Soul, to world-wide critical acclaim. A year later, he turned his back on the music industry to become the first black representative to the Honduran National Congress. However, inspired by the death of his close friend Andy Palacio, who helped to kickstart his career, he returned in 2011 . .....N'Joy
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More than ten years ago, Ivan Duran, a white Belizian, started Stonetree Records to document the music of the Garifuna (gar-RI-foo-nah), one of Central America's forgotten minorities.
Some history: the Garifuna are descendants of African slaves who escaped from a massive shipwreck on the island of Saint Vincent in 1635. The island of Saint Vincent was inhabited by descendent's of a Native tribe from mainland South America called the Kalipuna. They had invaded the island and slaughtered all the men of the Arawak Indians who had lived there and took their women for wives. When the Spanish conquered the Kalipuna/Arawaks they called them Caribe (cannibal). It's the word that gave rise to the term Caribbean. In 1635 two slave ships sank off the coast of Saint Vincent. After the expected bloodshed died down Africans and Natives intermarried and merged cultures to produce the Garifuna. This race of independent black Indians posed a problem for the colonial slave masters, who tried to alternately enslave and deport them. Eventually they were resettled in what is today Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Belize, the area known as the Mosquito Coast. The United Nations UNESCO arm recognizes their music and culture as a threatened one, part of humanity's intangible treasures. Their language includes words from Arawak, French, Yoruba, Bantu, Swahili, English, and Spanish and the culture is a blend of African, Catholic and Native American traditions. Against all odds, and partially because they have been marginalized due to racism, Garifuna culture still exhibits strong elements of ancient Native American traditions and the rhythms of the African motherland.
Ivan Duran was born in Belize and picked up guitar as a teen. He studied formally in Mexico, Spain, and Cuba at the Escuela Nacional de Música where he took classical and jazz training. In 1993, back in Belize, he began working with Andy Palacio, the best-known musician in Belize. When Duran realized Palacio couldn't record his music locally, he created Stonetree Records. Stonetree records Creole, Maya, and Garifuna artists, but it was the music of Palacio that took the label worldwide. When Palacio's Watina was licensed by Cumbancha Records in 2007, the album caused a worldwide sensation, reaching number one on many international world music charts and giving the music and the culture of the Garifuna more visibility than it has ever had. In the process of recording many Garifuna artists over the years, Aurelio Martinez stepped out of Andy Palacio''s shadow
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Singer-songwriter, guitarist and percussionist, Aurelio Martinez aka Aurelio (born 1969), is one of Central America’s most gifted performers. Born in Honduras, the artist is known for his powerful and evocative voice. He is a major tradition-bearer of the Garifuna culture and music and he is considered nowadays as the Cultural Ambassador of the Garifuna nation.
The Garinagu, commonly known as the Garifuna are people of Amerindian and West African descents who live along the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The original home of the Garifuna is St. Vincent (one of the windward islands in the West Indies) from which they were deported in 1796 by the British government and landed on Roatan island, situated in the Bay Islands of Honduras.
Aurelio grew up in a small Caribbean village called Plaplaya, surrounded by a family of talented musicians. His father was a well-known local troubadour who improvised Paranda songs containing Garifuna roots rhythms and Latin sounds. Following the influence of his uncles and grandfather, he became a brilliant drummer in his early childhood. From his vocally gifted mother, he learned to sing and picked up many songs she crafted. Actually, Aurelio began performing at Garifuna ceremonies when just a boy, even at the most sacred events where children were usually not even allowed. At the age of 14, the young man became a respected musician with a firm grounding in Garifuna rhythms, rituals and songs.
While attending secondary school at the provincial capital of La Ceiba, Aurelio dove into diverse and innovative musical projects that took him outside the traditional sphere of performance. By this time, he played professionally with popular Latin ensembles and refined his musical skills.
In the late 80’s, he created his first group called Lita Ariran, who was one of the first Garifuna traditional music and dance group to appear on the international scene and most specifically in Japan. His first album was produced by his friend Akira Tomita with the Japanese company JVC World Sounds (Grupo Garifuna de Honduras, Lita Areran (JVC Records, 1995). Later, Aurelio received the award for the Best singer of Garifuna music and his group Lita Ariran was rewarded for the Best cultural group of the year at the Garifuna World Music Awards, in New York (1998). The less we could say is that Lita Ariran‘s first and unique album remains most certainly a legendary treasure of the Garifuna music nowadays.
In 1997, Aurelio meets his Belizean friend and fellow musician Andy Palacio. The two artists struck up a decades-long friendship thanks in part to their shared hopes for the future of Garifuna music and culture. Through Palacio, Aurelio met Ivan Duran, the tireless producer behind Belize’s Stonetree Records. The same year, the young artist participated in a paranda project, including the King of Paranda Paul Nabor “Nabi”, Junie Aranda, Jursino Cayetano, Andy Palacio, among others. Critics around the world acknowledge Paranda, Africa in Central America (Stonetree Records, 1999) as being one of the best albums to come out of this part of the world. It is in fact a very rich collection of three generations of paranderos with a depth and range that grows with each listen. From the haunting, bluesy exuberance of Paul Nabor's "Naguya Nei" to the fresh sounds of Aurelio’s "Africa", this album takes the listener through the tapestry of feeling and soulful striving that lies at the heart of the Garifuna culture.
In 2004, Aurelio releases his first solo album called Garifuna Soul produced by his friend and long time collaborator Ivan Duran (Stonetree Records, 2004), backed by some of Belize’s and Honduras’ best studio musicians who improvised adeptly on Garifuna percussion, saxophone, electric and bass guitars. Undoubtedly, the artist takes the music into the future without compromising whatsoever the cultural foundations of his inspiration. Aurelio's rich resonant voice and soulful acoustic songs caught the attention of the global music press and saw him as a tradition-bearer with an innate musicality and subtle innovative streak. Indeed, AfroPop Worldwide names him “Newcomer of the year”.
Two years later (2006), Aurelio, a new born gifted musician takes on another role as a politician in the Honduran National Congress, becoming this way the first Garifuna congressman of his region in the country’s history. For this occasion, the politician’s main goal was to represent and support the Garifuna people through concrete manifestations that would protect their integrity as a whole. Precisely, the idea was to lead innovative actions to improve the daily life of this population as well as to feed and preserve their cultural treasures.
In the mean time, the Spanish public television (RTVE) produces: Honduras y Belice: la Aventura Garifuna, an original documentary that features simultaneously, the encounter between old paranda’s singers and the Garifuna’s way of life of yesterday and today’s generations. Aurelio is the star of this journey: a very popular young musician who later becomes known as one of the best paranderos. Thanks to its richness, this documentary is definitely an interesting audiovisual reference to introduce oneself into the surrounding world of the artist.
In 2007, Aurelio was invited to participate in the album Watina (Stonetree Records, Cumbancha, 2007) featuring Andy Palacio and The Garifuna Collective who received the prestigious Womex Award, a respected acknowledgment from the world music industry. Additionally, the album Watina was declared the Greatest World Music Album of All Times by Amazon.com in 2010.
Andy Palacio passed away unexpectedly at the young age of 48, leaving the Garifuna community stunned and bereft. ”Aurelio was still a congressman, but he left the congress session to go to Belize for the funeral,” Duran recalls. “He hadn’t been playing guitar for months because of his intense political commitments. But after Andy’s passing, he gave a few concerts and he knew he needed to start recording right away.”
Together with Ivan Duran, several veteran Garifuna musicians, and the occasional local ensemble dropping into the studio, Aurelio began laying down the tracks for this recording in a cabana on the beach. Laru Beya was not only a way of honoring Andy Palacio as a person; it was a means for continuing his mission of uplifting and expanding what it meant to be a Garifuna artist.
By the year 2008, Aurelio was selected worldwide musician by the Afropop legend Youssou N’Dour, within the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative. Most definitely, this was a major event allowing Aurelio and the Garifuna music to open up for the first time to African famous musicians. With no doubt, this opportunity of sharing was another main step in the artist’s developing career. Aside of exchanging valuable points of view about the former it gave him new ideas about musical technical features as well as an exciting possibility to share the stage with Youssou N’ Dour in places such as Senegal, New York (Nokia Theater) and Vienna (Vienna Jazz Festival). At the end of this journey, Aurelio’s dream of traveling one day to the African continent finally became true.
Three years later, as part of a result of Youssou N’Dour’s collaboration, Aurelio releases his second album Laru Beya (Stonetree Records, Real World Records 2011), a compilation of soulful songs linking back to the African roots. N’Dour adds his stirring vocals to two of its songs, while elsewhere there is backing from those great veterans of the Afro-Cuban scene, Orchestra Baobab, and from Senegalese rapper Sen Kumpé. Laru Beya wins sixth place in the Top 20 World Music Albums of 2011 in the WorldMusic.co.uk Award. “Aurelio is a highly talented musician, conscious composer and passionate performer with an excellent band behind him, as well as being the prime advocate for a unique culture. If anyone is going to put the Garifuna culture onto the map, it is Aurelio Martinez”, wrote the WorldMusic.co.uk website.
After his debut in the African scene, Aurelio makes a return to his musical roots with his third album Landini, (Stonetree Records, Real World Records, 2014). This last composition draws a traditional scenario of the Garifuna community way of life. Most specifically, the album shows a gentle picture of the paranda musical environment in Plaplaya, the artist’s dear hometown. Traditionally, after a long day of fishing, villagers return into their boats to the river landing and gather for a convivial paranda session. This symbolic image leads us to the album’s present name: “landini”, from the English word: “landing”.
According To Aurelio, "I consider this album to be the sound of my Garifuna people. On the previous album [Laru Beya] we experimented and collaborated with other artists to reconnect what was lost between Africa and America. This album is purely Garifuna, and the entire spirit of the music reflects the Garifuna experience. My mother is the sole inspiration for this album. She sees herself reflected in me, to a large degree, the only one of the family who could fulfill her dream of singing professionally. She's the best example I have in my life of what a human being should be, my main consultant and confidante."
Lándini was named to multiple 2014 year-end critics lists, including: #3 on The Sunday Times Ten Best World Music Albums of 2014, #3 on fRoots Critic's Poll New Albums of 2014, #2 World Music Central Best World Music Albums 2014, Songlines 10 Best Albums of the Year 2014, Curious Animal's Best Albums of 2014, #1 Songlines 50 Greatest World Music Albums of the Last Years.
The Garifuna community of New York honored Aurelio in March 2015 with a special musical tribute and concert to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his career. In January 17, Aurelio launched his new album Darandi, a collection of Aurelio’s favorite songs from his career recorded to capture the sound of his incendiary live performances accompanied by some of the Garifuna world’s brightest musical talents.
The album has been receiving great reviews by the press: “The Garifuna have a history of escaping slavery … That experience informs the indomitable spirit and characteristic joie de vivre of their music, expressed via the paranda, a unique up-tempo rhythm and melodies that are as listenable as they are danceable to. Recording with his band 'as live' in the studio, he brings new energy and emotion to favorites that range from the charming and slinky 'Laru Beya' to the lament 'Yange,' or a fresh version of 'Dondo,' a paranda classic driven on by tremolo electric guitar lines from Guayo Cedeño. (The Guardian). fRoots named Aurelio as “the finest living exponent of the music of the Garifuna people” and London Evening Standard called him “one of the great artists of Latin America."
“We’re not going to let this culture die. I know I must continue my ancestors’ legacy and find new ways to express it. Few people know about it, but I adore it, and it’s something I must share with the world.” Aurelio.
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The Garifuna people have their cultural origins in the wreck of a slave ship bound from West Africa. Abandoned on the Caribbean coast of Honduras, they intermingled with the Arawak and Carib tribes and the music of the resulting community reflects just the blend of elements one might expect, along with some that might be surprising. On this album from Garifuna artist Aurelio, you'll hear Brazilian-style percussion patterns, lyrics in French and in the Garifuna language, grooves derived from reggae and rocksteady, and gorgeously layered call-and-response harmony vocals. This is music simultaneously joyful and sad; notice, in particular, the bouncy and percolating groove that buoys "Yange" above its undertow of regret and sorrow, and the strangely goofy guitar sounds that add a layer of whimsy over the moody minor-key chord progression of "Bisien Nu." The title track is built on the rubber-band beat of vintage rocksteady, but counterbalances the rhythm's lightness with a rich density of horns and voices. And the album's closing track, the utterly sumptuous "Ereba," inhabits a strange borderland somewhere between samba and township jive. Listen to this album three or four times in quick succession and you'll hear something different each time; it's difficult to imagine growing tired of it.
Aurelio Martinez - Garifuna Afro-Combo (Laru Beya) (flac 251mb)
01 Lubara Wanwa (Feat Youssou N'Dour) 3:41
02 Laru Beya (Feat Orchestra Baoba) 3:20
03 Yange 3:53
04 Wéibayuwa 4:01
05 Ineweyu 3:43
06 Yurumei 3:41
07 Mayahuabá 4:54
08 Tio Sam 3:51
09 Wamada (Feat Youssou N'Dour) 4:11
10 Nuwaruguma 4:36
11 Ererba 3:37
Aurelio Martinez - Garifuna Afro-Combo (ogg 116mb)
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The Garifuna people emerged on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent when African slaves intermarried with Carib and Arawak Indians. Deported to Roatán, off the coast of Honduras, they eventually spread to the Central American mainland. With their hybrid heritage—physical appearance closer to their African roots and language derived from Island Carib—they created a rich musical culture. Aurelio Martinez, born into a family of musicians, began playing professionally in his teens; the 12 tracks of Lándini are steeped in the life of his village. Traditional Garifuna drums, maracas and claves breezily accompany his voice and guitars, while his gentle rhythms and melodies swing between celebratory and pensive. Themes include the struggle to make a living, sibling rivalry, medicinal use of ginger and facing death. The title song “Lándini" (Landing) describes a village meeting place where residents dock their boats). “Nando" (Leonardo), co-written by Aurelio and his mother, chides unfaithful women. In “Sañanaru" (I Can’t Handle Her), the narrator complains about a difficult woman and wonders if he can simply park her like a canoe. “Milaguru" (The Miracle) is based on a ferry disaster that killed all aboard. Joy and sorrow are part of everyone’s life, and Aurelio generously invites all to see how the world looks through they eyes of a people worth knowing.
Aurelio Martinez - Landini ( flac 239mb)
01 Sañanaru [I Can't Handle Her] 3:29
02 Nando [Leonardo] 3:00
03 Milaguru [Miracle] 3:35
04 Nafagua [I Will Try] 3:25
05 Nari Golu [My Golden Tooth] 3:38
06 Lãndini [Landing]3:03
07 Lirun Weyu [Sad Day] 3:05
08 Durugubei Mani [Evil Persons] 3:09
09 Irawini [Midnight] 2:52
10 Funa Tugudirugu [New Born Child] 3:19
11 Nitu [Older Sister] 3:07
12 Chichanbara [Ginger] 3:03
Aurelio Martinez - Landini (ogg 98mb)
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Aurelio Martínez, the greatest living Garifuna singer-songwriter, has a powerful, velvety voice and infectious energy, but there is more fueling his inner flame than passion for music: He is trying to preserve his culture and language. Their minority language—which UNESCO has declared a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”—is threatened by assimilation and emigration. On Darandi (Thirty), Aurelio offers sparkling new recordings of emblematic songs from a three-decade career rooted in paranda—a brisk-bluesy guitar-and-maracas-based tradition, modernized with drums and electric touches. He tells personal and folk tales, often evoking social issues, and pays homage to artists who influenced him. In Yalifu (Pelican), he remembers the feeling of childhood loss after his father left for New York: “Pelican, give me your wings so I can fly there,” he sings. Nari Golu (Gold Tooth) focuses on a woman who asks her husband for gold teeth to make her more beautiful—when she really wants to impress her secret lover. The country-tinged Funa Tugudirugu (Red Feet) encourages unwed fathers to take responsibility for their children. Sielpa—honoring a pioneering band of the same name—is about man who consulted doctors far and wide in a frustrated effort to diagnose an illness. Dugu addresses ancestor veneration—and perhaps the artist’s driving energy. “When I step on stage,” he told a Spanish interviewer, “I am no longer Aurelio Martínez, but the spirit of my grandfather.”
Aurelio Martinez - Darandi (flac 302mb)
01 Dondo 3:15
02 Yalifu 4:29
03 Yange 4:11
04 Laru Beya 3:54
05 Sielpa 5:25
06 Dugu 4:52
07 Sañanaro 3:29
08 Lándini 3:42
09 Funa Tugudirugu 4:52
10 Narigolu 5:25
11 Lumalali Lumaniga 4:38
12 Naguya Nei 5:23
Aurelio Martinez - Darandi (ogg 124mb)
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Today's artist is a self-taught musician multi-cultural sound, impressively managed to transcend his humble Honduras roots. He grew up surrounded by music, learning to sing from his vocally gifted mother and his troubadour father, building his own guitar from a fishing rod as a child, and performing in Garifuna ceremonies as a teenager. After playing professionally with various Latin ensembles while at school, he formed his own Garifuna group, Lita Ariran, and became a permanent fixture on the La Cieba music scene. After meeting Stonetree Records producer Ivan Duran, he contributed to a Paranda compilation and in 2004, released his debut album, Garifuna Soul, to world-wide critical acclaim. A year later, he turned his back on the music industry to become the first black representative to the Honduran National Congress. However, inspired by the death of his close friend Andy Palacio, who helped to kickstart his career, he returned in 2011 . .....N'Joy
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More than ten years ago, Ivan Duran, a white Belizian, started Stonetree Records to document the music of the Garifuna (gar-RI-foo-nah), one of Central America's forgotten minorities.
Some history: the Garifuna are descendants of African slaves who escaped from a massive shipwreck on the island of Saint Vincent in 1635. The island of Saint Vincent was inhabited by descendent's of a Native tribe from mainland South America called the Kalipuna. They had invaded the island and slaughtered all the men of the Arawak Indians who had lived there and took their women for wives. When the Spanish conquered the Kalipuna/Arawaks they called them Caribe (cannibal). It's the word that gave rise to the term Caribbean. In 1635 two slave ships sank off the coast of Saint Vincent. After the expected bloodshed died down Africans and Natives intermarried and merged cultures to produce the Garifuna. This race of independent black Indians posed a problem for the colonial slave masters, who tried to alternately enslave and deport them. Eventually they were resettled in what is today Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Belize, the area known as the Mosquito Coast. The United Nations UNESCO arm recognizes their music and culture as a threatened one, part of humanity's intangible treasures. Their language includes words from Arawak, French, Yoruba, Bantu, Swahili, English, and Spanish and the culture is a blend of African, Catholic and Native American traditions. Against all odds, and partially because they have been marginalized due to racism, Garifuna culture still exhibits strong elements of ancient Native American traditions and the rhythms of the African motherland.
Ivan Duran was born in Belize and picked up guitar as a teen. He studied formally in Mexico, Spain, and Cuba at the Escuela Nacional de Música where he took classical and jazz training. In 1993, back in Belize, he began working with Andy Palacio, the best-known musician in Belize. When Duran realized Palacio couldn't record his music locally, he created Stonetree Records. Stonetree records Creole, Maya, and Garifuna artists, but it was the music of Palacio that took the label worldwide. When Palacio's Watina was licensed by Cumbancha Records in 2007, the album caused a worldwide sensation, reaching number one on many international world music charts and giving the music and the culture of the Garifuna more visibility than it has ever had. In the process of recording many Garifuna artists over the years, Aurelio Martinez stepped out of Andy Palacio''s shadow
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Singer-songwriter, guitarist and percussionist, Aurelio Martinez aka Aurelio (born 1969), is one of Central America’s most gifted performers. Born in Honduras, the artist is known for his powerful and evocative voice. He is a major tradition-bearer of the Garifuna culture and music and he is considered nowadays as the Cultural Ambassador of the Garifuna nation.
The Garinagu, commonly known as the Garifuna are people of Amerindian and West African descents who live along the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The original home of the Garifuna is St. Vincent (one of the windward islands in the West Indies) from which they were deported in 1796 by the British government and landed on Roatan island, situated in the Bay Islands of Honduras.
Aurelio grew up in a small Caribbean village called Plaplaya, surrounded by a family of talented musicians. His father was a well-known local troubadour who improvised Paranda songs containing Garifuna roots rhythms and Latin sounds. Following the influence of his uncles and grandfather, he became a brilliant drummer in his early childhood. From his vocally gifted mother, he learned to sing and picked up many songs she crafted. Actually, Aurelio began performing at Garifuna ceremonies when just a boy, even at the most sacred events where children were usually not even allowed. At the age of 14, the young man became a respected musician with a firm grounding in Garifuna rhythms, rituals and songs.
While attending secondary school at the provincial capital of La Ceiba, Aurelio dove into diverse and innovative musical projects that took him outside the traditional sphere of performance. By this time, he played professionally with popular Latin ensembles and refined his musical skills.
In the late 80’s, he created his first group called Lita Ariran, who was one of the first Garifuna traditional music and dance group to appear on the international scene and most specifically in Japan. His first album was produced by his friend Akira Tomita with the Japanese company JVC World Sounds (Grupo Garifuna de Honduras, Lita Areran (JVC Records, 1995). Later, Aurelio received the award for the Best singer of Garifuna music and his group Lita Ariran was rewarded for the Best cultural group of the year at the Garifuna World Music Awards, in New York (1998). The less we could say is that Lita Ariran‘s first and unique album remains most certainly a legendary treasure of the Garifuna music nowadays.
In 1997, Aurelio meets his Belizean friend and fellow musician Andy Palacio. The two artists struck up a decades-long friendship thanks in part to their shared hopes for the future of Garifuna music and culture. Through Palacio, Aurelio met Ivan Duran, the tireless producer behind Belize’s Stonetree Records. The same year, the young artist participated in a paranda project, including the King of Paranda Paul Nabor “Nabi”, Junie Aranda, Jursino Cayetano, Andy Palacio, among others. Critics around the world acknowledge Paranda, Africa in Central America (Stonetree Records, 1999) as being one of the best albums to come out of this part of the world. It is in fact a very rich collection of three generations of paranderos with a depth and range that grows with each listen. From the haunting, bluesy exuberance of Paul Nabor's "Naguya Nei" to the fresh sounds of Aurelio’s "Africa", this album takes the listener through the tapestry of feeling and soulful striving that lies at the heart of the Garifuna culture.
In 2004, Aurelio releases his first solo album called Garifuna Soul produced by his friend and long time collaborator Ivan Duran (Stonetree Records, 2004), backed by some of Belize’s and Honduras’ best studio musicians who improvised adeptly on Garifuna percussion, saxophone, electric and bass guitars. Undoubtedly, the artist takes the music into the future without compromising whatsoever the cultural foundations of his inspiration. Aurelio's rich resonant voice and soulful acoustic songs caught the attention of the global music press and saw him as a tradition-bearer with an innate musicality and subtle innovative streak. Indeed, AfroPop Worldwide names him “Newcomer of the year”.
Two years later (2006), Aurelio, a new born gifted musician takes on another role as a politician in the Honduran National Congress, becoming this way the first Garifuna congressman of his region in the country’s history. For this occasion, the politician’s main goal was to represent and support the Garifuna people through concrete manifestations that would protect their integrity as a whole. Precisely, the idea was to lead innovative actions to improve the daily life of this population as well as to feed and preserve their cultural treasures.
In the mean time, the Spanish public television (RTVE) produces: Honduras y Belice: la Aventura Garifuna, an original documentary that features simultaneously, the encounter between old paranda’s singers and the Garifuna’s way of life of yesterday and today’s generations. Aurelio is the star of this journey: a very popular young musician who later becomes known as one of the best paranderos. Thanks to its richness, this documentary is definitely an interesting audiovisual reference to introduce oneself into the surrounding world of the artist.
In 2007, Aurelio was invited to participate in the album Watina (Stonetree Records, Cumbancha, 2007) featuring Andy Palacio and The Garifuna Collective who received the prestigious Womex Award, a respected acknowledgment from the world music industry. Additionally, the album Watina was declared the Greatest World Music Album of All Times by Amazon.com in 2010.
Andy Palacio passed away unexpectedly at the young age of 48, leaving the Garifuna community stunned and bereft. ”Aurelio was still a congressman, but he left the congress session to go to Belize for the funeral,” Duran recalls. “He hadn’t been playing guitar for months because of his intense political commitments. But after Andy’s passing, he gave a few concerts and he knew he needed to start recording right away.”
Together with Ivan Duran, several veteran Garifuna musicians, and the occasional local ensemble dropping into the studio, Aurelio began laying down the tracks for this recording in a cabana on the beach. Laru Beya was not only a way of honoring Andy Palacio as a person; it was a means for continuing his mission of uplifting and expanding what it meant to be a Garifuna artist.
By the year 2008, Aurelio was selected worldwide musician by the Afropop legend Youssou N’Dour, within the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative. Most definitely, this was a major event allowing Aurelio and the Garifuna music to open up for the first time to African famous musicians. With no doubt, this opportunity of sharing was another main step in the artist’s developing career. Aside of exchanging valuable points of view about the former it gave him new ideas about musical technical features as well as an exciting possibility to share the stage with Youssou N’ Dour in places such as Senegal, New York (Nokia Theater) and Vienna (Vienna Jazz Festival). At the end of this journey, Aurelio’s dream of traveling one day to the African continent finally became true.
Three years later, as part of a result of Youssou N’Dour’s collaboration, Aurelio releases his second album Laru Beya (Stonetree Records, Real World Records 2011), a compilation of soulful songs linking back to the African roots. N’Dour adds his stirring vocals to two of its songs, while elsewhere there is backing from those great veterans of the Afro-Cuban scene, Orchestra Baobab, and from Senegalese rapper Sen Kumpé. Laru Beya wins sixth place in the Top 20 World Music Albums of 2011 in the WorldMusic.co.uk Award. “Aurelio is a highly talented musician, conscious composer and passionate performer with an excellent band behind him, as well as being the prime advocate for a unique culture. If anyone is going to put the Garifuna culture onto the map, it is Aurelio Martinez”, wrote the WorldMusic.co.uk website.
After his debut in the African scene, Aurelio makes a return to his musical roots with his third album Landini, (Stonetree Records, Real World Records, 2014). This last composition draws a traditional scenario of the Garifuna community way of life. Most specifically, the album shows a gentle picture of the paranda musical environment in Plaplaya, the artist’s dear hometown. Traditionally, after a long day of fishing, villagers return into their boats to the river landing and gather for a convivial paranda session. This symbolic image leads us to the album’s present name: “landini”, from the English word: “landing”.
According To Aurelio, "I consider this album to be the sound of my Garifuna people. On the previous album [Laru Beya] we experimented and collaborated with other artists to reconnect what was lost between Africa and America. This album is purely Garifuna, and the entire spirit of the music reflects the Garifuna experience. My mother is the sole inspiration for this album. She sees herself reflected in me, to a large degree, the only one of the family who could fulfill her dream of singing professionally. She's the best example I have in my life of what a human being should be, my main consultant and confidante."
Lándini was named to multiple 2014 year-end critics lists, including: #3 on The Sunday Times Ten Best World Music Albums of 2014, #3 on fRoots Critic's Poll New Albums of 2014, #2 World Music Central Best World Music Albums 2014, Songlines 10 Best Albums of the Year 2014, Curious Animal's Best Albums of 2014, #1 Songlines 50 Greatest World Music Albums of the Last Years.
The Garifuna community of New York honored Aurelio in March 2015 with a special musical tribute and concert to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his career. In January 17, Aurelio launched his new album Darandi, a collection of Aurelio’s favorite songs from his career recorded to capture the sound of his incendiary live performances accompanied by some of the Garifuna world’s brightest musical talents.
The album has been receiving great reviews by the press: “The Garifuna have a history of escaping slavery … That experience informs the indomitable spirit and characteristic joie de vivre of their music, expressed via the paranda, a unique up-tempo rhythm and melodies that are as listenable as they are danceable to. Recording with his band 'as live' in the studio, he brings new energy and emotion to favorites that range from the charming and slinky 'Laru Beya' to the lament 'Yange,' or a fresh version of 'Dondo,' a paranda classic driven on by tremolo electric guitar lines from Guayo Cedeño. (The Guardian). fRoots named Aurelio as “the finest living exponent of the music of the Garifuna people” and London Evening Standard called him “one of the great artists of Latin America."
“We’re not going to let this culture die. I know I must continue my ancestors’ legacy and find new ways to express it. Few people know about it, but I adore it, and it’s something I must share with the world.” Aurelio.
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The Garifuna people have their cultural origins in the wreck of a slave ship bound from West Africa. Abandoned on the Caribbean coast of Honduras, they intermingled with the Arawak and Carib tribes and the music of the resulting community reflects just the blend of elements one might expect, along with some that might be surprising. On this album from Garifuna artist Aurelio, you'll hear Brazilian-style percussion patterns, lyrics in French and in the Garifuna language, grooves derived from reggae and rocksteady, and gorgeously layered call-and-response harmony vocals. This is music simultaneously joyful and sad; notice, in particular, the bouncy and percolating groove that buoys "Yange" above its undertow of regret and sorrow, and the strangely goofy guitar sounds that add a layer of whimsy over the moody minor-key chord progression of "Bisien Nu." The title track is built on the rubber-band beat of vintage rocksteady, but counterbalances the rhythm's lightness with a rich density of horns and voices. And the album's closing track, the utterly sumptuous "Ereba," inhabits a strange borderland somewhere between samba and township jive. Listen to this album three or four times in quick succession and you'll hear something different each time; it's difficult to imagine growing tired of it.
Aurelio Martinez - Garifuna Afro-Combo (Laru Beya) (flac 251mb)
01 Lubara Wanwa (Feat Youssou N'Dour) 3:41
02 Laru Beya (Feat Orchestra Baoba) 3:20
03 Yange 3:53
04 Wéibayuwa 4:01
05 Ineweyu 3:43
06 Yurumei 3:41
07 Mayahuabá 4:54
08 Tio Sam 3:51
09 Wamada (Feat Youssou N'Dour) 4:11
10 Nuwaruguma 4:36
11 Ererba 3:37
Aurelio Martinez - Garifuna Afro-Combo (ogg 116mb)
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The Garifuna people emerged on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent when African slaves intermarried with Carib and Arawak Indians. Deported to Roatán, off the coast of Honduras, they eventually spread to the Central American mainland. With their hybrid heritage—physical appearance closer to their African roots and language derived from Island Carib—they created a rich musical culture. Aurelio Martinez, born into a family of musicians, began playing professionally in his teens; the 12 tracks of Lándini are steeped in the life of his village. Traditional Garifuna drums, maracas and claves breezily accompany his voice and guitars, while his gentle rhythms and melodies swing between celebratory and pensive. Themes include the struggle to make a living, sibling rivalry, medicinal use of ginger and facing death. The title song “Lándini" (Landing) describes a village meeting place where residents dock their boats). “Nando" (Leonardo), co-written by Aurelio and his mother, chides unfaithful women. In “Sañanaru" (I Can’t Handle Her), the narrator complains about a difficult woman and wonders if he can simply park her like a canoe. “Milaguru" (The Miracle) is based on a ferry disaster that killed all aboard. Joy and sorrow are part of everyone’s life, and Aurelio generously invites all to see how the world looks through they eyes of a people worth knowing.
Aurelio Martinez - Landini ( flac 239mb)
01 Sañanaru [I Can't Handle Her] 3:29
02 Nando [Leonardo] 3:00
03 Milaguru [Miracle] 3:35
04 Nafagua [I Will Try] 3:25
05 Nari Golu [My Golden Tooth] 3:38
06 Lãndini [Landing]3:03
07 Lirun Weyu [Sad Day] 3:05
08 Durugubei Mani [Evil Persons] 3:09
09 Irawini [Midnight] 2:52
10 Funa Tugudirugu [New Born Child] 3:19
11 Nitu [Older Sister] 3:07
12 Chichanbara [Ginger] 3:03
Aurelio Martinez - Landini (ogg 98mb)
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Aurelio Martínez, the greatest living Garifuna singer-songwriter, has a powerful, velvety voice and infectious energy, but there is more fueling his inner flame than passion for music: He is trying to preserve his culture and language. Their minority language—which UNESCO has declared a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”—is threatened by assimilation and emigration. On Darandi (Thirty), Aurelio offers sparkling new recordings of emblematic songs from a three-decade career rooted in paranda—a brisk-bluesy guitar-and-maracas-based tradition, modernized with drums and electric touches. He tells personal and folk tales, often evoking social issues, and pays homage to artists who influenced him. In Yalifu (Pelican), he remembers the feeling of childhood loss after his father left for New York: “Pelican, give me your wings so I can fly there,” he sings. Nari Golu (Gold Tooth) focuses on a woman who asks her husband for gold teeth to make her more beautiful—when she really wants to impress her secret lover. The country-tinged Funa Tugudirugu (Red Feet) encourages unwed fathers to take responsibility for their children. Sielpa—honoring a pioneering band of the same name—is about man who consulted doctors far and wide in a frustrated effort to diagnose an illness. Dugu addresses ancestor veneration—and perhaps the artist’s driving energy. “When I step on stage,” he told a Spanish interviewer, “I am no longer Aurelio Martínez, but the spirit of my grandfather.”
Aurelio Martinez - Darandi (flac 302mb)
01 Dondo 3:15
02 Yalifu 4:29
03 Yange 4:11
04 Laru Beya 3:54
05 Sielpa 5:25
06 Dugu 4:52
07 Sañanaro 3:29
08 Lándini 3:42
09 Funa Tugudirugu 4:52
10 Narigolu 5:25
11 Lumalali Lumaniga 4:38
12 Naguya Nei 5:23
Aurelio Martinez - Darandi (ogg 124mb)
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