[FA Worldmusic] thank you Andy. stream of Afropop profile of Andy

[Sean Barlow]

The outpouring of grief about Andy Palacio's horrible, untimely death
speaks volumes about the respect and love the world music community has
for Andy, his work and his commitment to using music as a positive
social force. I am deeply saddened. My heart goes out to Andy's family,
his extended Garifuna family, band mates and to Ivan Duran who gave so
much of his time, talent, love and blood sweat and tears in co-creating
Andy's acclaimed Watina and in realizing Andy's dream of touring &
taking Garifuna culture to the world. Before he passed on, Andy did
realize his dream as many, many people got to experience Andy and the
Garifuna Collective directly in concert, fall in love with Watina (thank
you Jacob Edgar and Cumbancha for your commitment) and Andy got to tell
the proud story of the Garifuna to millions more over the air and in
print. One memory that leaves a smile on my face is Andy bringing on
stage the 70 something charmer Paul Nabor with all the respect due an
elder and watching and smiling from the side as Paul brought down the
house. Andy, I wish you had lived to claim your rightful place as a
respected elder. I will miss you. Sean. 

On Demand stream of Afropop's profile "Andy Palacio: Taking Garifuna
Culture to the World" (including concert highlights from globalFEST 2007
& extended interview

High Bitrate
http://afropop.streamguys.net/M3U/524H.m3u

Low Bitrate
http://afropop.streamguys.net/M3U/524L.m3u

Tribute to Andy on Afropop.org by Banning Eyre and Sean 
2007 was an amazing year for Belize's beloved singer and bandleader Andy
Palacio.  It was a year full of awards, landmarks, interviews, and
showcase performances.  With the album Watina, which he co-created with
producer Ivan Duran and the Garifuna Collective, Andy accomplished a
significant breakthrough for his ancestral Garifuna culture, and the
recognition this instant-classic album received, he went a good ways
towards achieving one of his principle life ambitions-to validate and
preserve that culture.  Anyone who saw Andy speak or perform during this
past year came away energized by his vitality, charisma, and inspiring
sense of purpose.  All of this makes it nearly impossible to fathom the
news that on January 19, 2008, Andy died in Belize City after a stroke
and heart attack.   
Andy was a rare fellow.  On a professional level, he brought together
the talent, wisdom, stamina, patience and vision it takes to do great
things in a world of music where the script is unwritten, and the rules
constantly under revision.  As a social activist, he was articulate and
persuasive, and it can fairly be said that no one has done more for the
Garifuna of Central America than he did.  As a man he was always warm
and modest.  
In the weeks, months, and years to come, much will be written and said
about Andy, his life and his work.  At this sad and shocking moment, we
at Afropop Worldwide simply want to say, "Andy, we are privileged and
honored to have shared in your journey.  No one can doubt you had much
more to give, but while we have all been robbed of that future, we are
thankful for all that you did give during your short time on earth.  You
were one of the special ones, and we will miss you always."
Banning Eyre and Sean Barlow 

Link to above tribute: 

http://www.afropop.org/news_flash.php?ID=495





-----Original Message-----
From: fa-worldmusic-bounces+sean=afropop.org at folk.org
[mailto:fa-worldmusic-bounces+sean=afropop.org at folk.org] On Behalf Of
Bill Bragin
Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2008 9:32 AM
To: music at rockpaperscissors.biz; fa-worldmusic at folk.org
Subject: Re: [FA Worldmusic] FW: Andy Palacio 1960-2008 - He is resting
withtheancestors

I can't believe how sad this news makes me feel. In the spirit of
celebrating Andy's generous contributions to Garifuna, Belizian,
Caribbean/Central American and global culture, I'd like to point people
to this video of excerpts from his moving speech, along with Ivan
Duran's and a performance of Umalali at last year's Womex. This award
ceremony was truly a high point in my many years of attending that
event. A great reminder of how Andy's work as an artist transcended that
role, and how important he was, and will continue to be, as a cultural
ambassador. 

http://wwwmmondomix.com/player/player-fr-flv.php?url_media=http://www.mo
ndomix-media.com/flv/womex2007andy.flv&artist_id=0&video_id=4056 (if the
link doesn't work, just go to www.mondomix.com and search for andy
palacio and womex)

My thoughts go out to his loved ones, to Ivan and Jacob who did so much
to help spread Andy's music and activism to the world, and to all those
who were lucky enough to have had him in their lives. 

All the best,

Bill Bragin
All the best,
Bill Bragin

-----Original Message-----
From: fa-worldmusic-bounces+bbragin=lincolncenter.org at folk.org
<fa-worldmusic-bounces+bbragin=lincolncenter.org at folk.org>
To: fa-worldmusic at folk.org <fa-worldmusic at folk.org>
Sent: Sun Jan 20 09:08:52 2008
Subject: [FA Worldmusic] FW: Andy Palacio 1960-2008 - He is resting with
theancestors

I pass this on with great sadness. A giant has fallen.



From: Jacob Edgar [mailto:jacob at cumbancha.com]
Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2008 12:14 AM
To: Jacob Edgar
Subject: Andy Palacio 1960-2008 - He is resting with the ancestors



Dear all:

We are heartbroken to report that Andy Palacio passed away tonight at
9pm
Belize time. The cause of death was a massive and extensive stroke to
the
brain, a heart attack and respiratory failure due to the previous two
conditions. After having been waylaid in Mobile, Alabama while en route
to
emergency care in Chicago, Andy had been brought back to a hospital in
Belize last night so that he could die in his homeland.

Words cant express the sorrow we feel at the loss of such a tremendous
person and artist.

A more formal press release is copied below. Please pass this
information on
to the countless people around the world who have been impacted by
Andys
music and message. Feel free to post this announcement to your email
lists
or blogs, as we want to make sure that everyone who knows Andy or his
music
are aware of what has happened.

We are together at the Cumbancha office in Vermont. Ivan will be heading
to
Belize as soon as possible to attend the funeral ceremonies and the
tribute
concert that is planned for this coming Friday.

In the Garifuna culture the death of a loved one is an opportunity to
celebrate their memory and rejoice in having been blessed to have had
them
in your life. We feel so fortunate to have known this incredible
individual
and we mourn the loss of truly great man.

In an interview conducted last July, Andy was asked how he wanted to be
remembered when he died. He replied, "As a proud Garifuna...someone who
instills pride in Garifuna and raises their
self-esteem.  To me, that's the most important thing." This was already
the
case while he was alive, and were certain it will only be more true in
the
future.

Sincerely,


Ivan Duran and Jacob Edgar


ANDY PALACIO
DECEMBER 2, 1960  JANUARY 19, 2008


+++++++++++++++++

PRESS RELEASE

Belizean Musician Andy Palacio Passes Away After Heart Attack and Stroke

January 19, 2008 - Andy Palacio, an iconic musician and cultural
activist in
his native Belize and impassioned spokesperson for the Garifuna people
of
Central America, was declared dead tonight at 9pm Belize time due to a
massive and extensive stroke to the brain, a heart attack and
respiratory
failure due to the previous two conditions.

Palacio, 47, started feeling poorly last week and eventually visited a
doctor with complaints of dizziness and blurred vision. On the 16th of
January, he began experiencing seizures and was rushed to a hospital in
Belmopan, Belize and then on to another hospital in Belize City. At this
point, most people were hopeful Palacio would recover.

On January 17th, Palacios condition worsened and he began experiencing
more
seizures. He was placed on an air ambulance to Chicago where he was
expected
to get treatment at one of the premier neurological facilities in the
country. En route to Chicago, the plane stopped in Mobile, Alabama to
clear
immigration. At that point, Palacio was unconscious and it was
determined
that he was too ill to continue on the flight to Chicago. He was rushed
to a
hospital in Mobile, and placed on life support. There, doctors
determined
that the damage to his brain function was severe, and that his chances
of
recovery were slim. On January 18th, his family requested that he be
flown
back to Belize so that he might die in his homeland.

A national hero in Belize for his popular music and advocacy of Garifuna
language and culture, news of Palacios condition sent shockwaves
through
the community. At 5pm today, a public service was held in Belize City
for
Palacio as people prayed for his recovery. Ceremonies were also held by
Garifuna spiritual leaders in an effort to help with the situation.
Belize
is in the midst of a heated election, but the local news was entirely
dominated by Palacios health crisis.

The reaction has also been strong around the world. Until the recent
turn of
events, the past year had been one of tremendous accomplishment for
Palacio
as his album Watina, which was released at the beginning of 2007, had
become
one of the most critically acclaimed recordings of the year in any
genre.
Perhaps the most unanimously revered world music album in recent memory,
Watina appeared on dozens of Best of the Year lists in major media
outlets
around the globe and was roundly praised in glowing terms.

In 2007, Palacio was named a UNESCO Artist for Peace and won the
prestigious
WOMEX Award. Watina was also nominated for the BBC Radio 3 World Music
Awards. At home in Belize, the international success of Watina has
sparked a
revival of Garifuna music, as young musicians have become inspired by
Palacios example. Even in the days since Palacios health crisis began,
the
accolades have continued to pour in for his work.

That Palacio has been struck down at a moment of such international
acclaim
only increases the sense of shock and tragedy felt at his sudden and
untimely death.

Andy Palacio will be honored with an official state funeral. A massive
tribute concert is planned in Belize City on Friday, January 25th.

Friends and supporters are invited to post messages in memory of Andy
Palacio to his MySpace page (www.myspace.com/andypalacio) as well as to
the
blog of his international record label Cumbancha
(http://cumbanchamusic.blogspot.com/).



+++++++++++

ANDY PALACIOS BIOGRAPHY

Andy Palacio was not only the most popular musician in Belize, he was
also a
serious music and cultural activist with a deep commitment to preserving
his
unique Garifuna culture. Long a leading proponent of Garifuna popular
music
and a tireless advocate for the maintenance of the Garifuna language and
traditions, Palacio recently achieved international acclaim for his work
as
a recording and performing artist thanks to the critical success of his
early 2007 album Wetina.

Andy Vivien Palacio was born in the small coastal village of Barranco,
Belize on December 2, 1960.  Palacio grew up listening to traditional
Garifuna music as well as imported sounds coming over the radio from
neighboring Honduras, Guatemala, the Caribbean and the United States.
Music
was always a part of daily life, said Palacio, It was the soundtrack
that
we lived to. Along with some of his peers, he joined local bands even
while
in high school and began developing his own voice, performing covers of
popular Caribbean and Top 40 songs.

However, it was while working with a literacy project on Nicaragua's
Atlantic Coast in 1980 and discovering that the Garifuna language and
culture was steadily dying in that country, that a strong cultural
awareness
took hold and his approach to music became more defined. I saw what had
happened to my people in Nicaragua. The cultural erosion I saw there
deeply
affected my outlook, he said in late 2006, and I definitely had to
react
to that reality. His reaction took the form of diving deeper into the
language and rhythms of the Garifuna, a unique cultural blend of West
African and Indigenous Carib and Arawak Indian language and heritage.
It
was a conscious strategy. I felt that music was an excellent medium to
preserve the culture. I saw it as a way of maintaining cultural pride
and
self esteem, especially in young people.

Palacio became a leading figure in a growing renaissance of young
Garifuna
intellectuals who were writing poetry and songs in their native
language. He
saw the emergence of an upbeat, popular dance form based on Garifuna
rhythms
that became known as punta rock and enthusiastically took part in
developing
the form. Andy began performing his own songs and gained stature as a
musician and energetic Garifuna artist.  In 1987, he was able to hone
his
skills after being invited to work in England with Cultural Partnerships
Limited, a community arts organization. Returning home to Belize with
new
skills and a four track recording system, he helped found Sunrise, an
organization dedicated to preserving, documenting and distributing
Belizean
music. While his academic background and self-scholarship allowed for
his
on-going documentation of Garifuna culture through lyrics and music, it
is
his exuberance as a performer that has helped earn him worldwide
recognition.

Palacio also brought his passion for Garifuna culture into the public
sector. In December 2004, Palacio was appointed Cultural Ambassador and
Deputy Administrator of the National Institute of Culture and History of
Belize.

About five years ago, Belizean producer Ivan Duran, Palacios longtime
collaborator and founder of the local label Stonetree Records, convinced
Palacio that he should focus on less commercial forms of Garifuna music
and
look more deeply into its soul and roots. Duran and Palacio set out to
create an all-star, multi-generational ensemble of some of the best
Garifuna
musicians from Guatemala, Honduras and Belize. The Garifuna Collective
unites elder statesmen such as legendary Garifuna composer Paul Nabor,
with
up-and-coming voices of the new generation such as Aurelio Martinez from
Honduras and Adrien Martinez from Belize. Rather then focusing solely on
danceable styles like punta rock, the Collective explores the more
soulful
side of Garifuna music, such as the Latin-influenced paranda, and the
sacred
d|g|, punta and gunjei rhythms.

Palacio and Duran embarked on the production of Watina, an album that
would
come to redefine modern Garifuna music and become one of the most
critically-acclaimed world music releases of 2007. The initial recording
sessions for this exceptional album took place over a 4-month period in
an
improvised studio inside a thatch-roofed cabin by the sea in the small
village of Hopkins, Belize. It was an informal environment, where the
musicians spent many hours playing together late into the night, honing
the
arrangements of the songs that would eventually end up on this album.
While
the traditions provided the inspiration, the musicians also added
contemporary elements that helped give the songs relevance to their
modern
context. After the sessions, Ivan Duran worked tirelessly back at his
studio
to craft what is surely the pinnacle of Garifuna music production to
date.

Watina, which was released at the beginning of 2007, became one of the
most
critically acclaimed recordings of the year in any genre. Perhaps the
most
unanimously revered world music album in recent memory, Watina appeared
on
dozens of Best of the Year lists in major media outlets around the globe
and
was roundly praised in glowing terms. These best-of lists put an
exclamation
point on what had been an incredible year for Andy Palacio and the
worldwide
recognition of Garifuna music. In November, 2007, Palacio became the
first
Caribbean and Central American artist to be designated awas named a
UNESCO
Artist for Peace. He received the prestigious WOMEX Award in October,
2007
which was co-awarded to Ivan Duran. In September, 2007 Palacio was
conferred
the Order of Meritorious Service by the Prime Minister of Belize. Watina
was
also nominated for the influential BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards. At
home
in Belize, the international success of Watina has sparked a revival of
Garifuna music, as young musicians have become inspired by Palacios
example.

[demime 1.01d removed an attachment of type image/jpeg which had a name
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