[FA Worldmusic] music in Belize

[Cash Edwards]

In response to a query from someone this week who was going to Belize:

Last  spring my husband, a KGSR DJ, and I went to Belize. Andy had  
played here in Austin the week before we left with Aurelio Martinez  
(sp?) in celebration of Andy's new album and it was fabulous. That  
program got us started on our Garifuna education.

Arriving in Belize first we went to the mountains and found no live  
music in San Ignacio what so ever and we're good at finding it and  
intrepid about going to dives. Then we drove down to Placencia for  
the next week which had some scattered music.

  The place where my tourist buddies told me not to go was Dangriga  
as it was not a tourist town - luckily we got  so burned snorkeling  
that we decided to drive up to the Garifuna museum in Dangriga and to  
visit Austin, the famous Garifuna drum maker. It was an amazing  
adventure and we learned a lot about the music and history of the  
Garifuna people. We ate at a great chicken shack, Roots Kitchen (I  
have the photos w/ chicks and peepers) and met Charlie who became our  
wonderful and fun tour guide.

Near us in Placencia was a resort, Inn at Robert's Grove, which had  
Garfiuna drummers for happy hour. We went over there (couldn't begin  
to afford to stay there) and met several young gentleman from Seine  
Bight who were wonderful young drummers and singers. Akin, the band  
leader, and Raymond, who were also school teachers, expressed a  
desire to start touring.

They invited us to a punta rock show that evening in Seine Bight,  
that was some electrical fun....

So my recommendation is
1. rent a car (the roads are an adventure in themselves)
2. go to Dangriga - hard to get to if you don't have a car
3. go to meet the musicians at the Inn at Robert's Grove


Best, Cash

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