"Watina" by Andy Palacio and The Garifuna Collective
Belizean native, Andy Palacio, is not a household name in the U.S. but with this latest release, I hope many more people hear his music. On the amazingly infectious and enjoyable album, Watina, which blends Caribbean, African and Cuban rhythms, Palacio celebrates Garifuna, a culture and language that is slowly becoming extinct.
In the 1600s, West African slaves were shipwrecked on what is now known as St. Vincent. They were captured by the British and exiled to an island off Honduras. Now there are only a few hundred thousand Garifunas left across Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, and the culture, language and traditions are in danger of dying out. In Belize, there are only a little more than 10,000 Garifunans left and the language is taught in only one village.
This album does the Garifuna justice--I loved every song!--and is the third release from Cumbancha, the new label founded by Jacob Edgar the former head of music research and product development at Putumayo World Music. Here's a making of video introduction to Watina and its inspirations.