AURELIO MARTINEZ: PORTAVOZ DE LA CULTURA GAR�FUNA

Aurelio Martinez y Youssou N'Dour

La cultura del pueblo gar�funa irrumpi� en la escena internacional cuando el
artista y embajador cultural de Belice, Andy Palacio, junto con el m�sico y
productor Ivan Duran (tambi�n fundador de la discogr�fica Stonetree Records)
ganaron el premio Womex 2007. Pocos meses despu�s, la triste noticia del
fallecimiento imprevisto de Palacio conmocion� a la comunidad musical.
Uno de sus grandes amigos, el joven m�sico de Honduras Aurelio Martinez, ya muy
conocido en su pa�s como m�sico de Punta Rock, super� su profundo luto por la
p�rdida de Palacio y se puso a grabar un nuevo disco, junto con el productor Duran,
en un peque�o pueblo de pescadores en la costa de Honduras. Seleccionado dentro de
la Iniciativa Rolex �Mentor y Disc�pulo�, fue la estrella africana Youssou N�Dour
quien lo escogi� como disc�pulo, y la colaboraci�n entre los dos artistas dio fruto
a dos temas del disco. Martinez aprovech� su estancia en Senegal para reconectarse
con sus ra�ces africanas (�pude visitar la isla de Gor�e, donde se reclu�a a los
afros esclavos antes de llevarlos para Am�rica�) y grabar con la Orquesta Baobab y
j�venes artistas de hip hop conocidos en Dakar. El resultado es un �lbum de una
rara belleza del digno heredero de Palacio, un �lbum titulado Laru Beya, cuya
publicaci�n est� prevista para finales de febrero de 2011. La cultura gar�funa
tiene una nueva portavoz.
Para entender la especificidad de la m�sica gar�funa, primero hay que conocer la
historia fascinante y dram�tica de este pueblo. Como nos la cont� Aurelio Martinez:
�Naci� en la isla San Vincente de las Antillas menores, una mezcla entre indios
arahuacos y negros africanos. Despu�s de grandes luchas en la isla [contra los
brit�nicos] los gar�funas fueron deportados a mar abierto y instauraron la primera
comunidad en Centro Am�rica que fue en Honduras. Luego se expandi� por la costa
hondure�a hac�a Nicaragua, Belice y Guatemala. El pueblo todav�a tiene preservada
toda su estructura, su gastronom�a, su danza, sus cantos, todav�a utiliza su lengua
que es lo m�s fundamental y se canta en gar�funa.�
Consciente de su responsabilidad frente a los j�venes gar�funas que todav�a �no
consiguen superar su pasado porque todav�a no tienen iconos gar�funas que brillen
como un ejemplo para la juventud�, Aurelio Martinez cree que este nuevo �lbum puede
abrir �una nueva etapa en lo que es la presentaci�n de la cultura gar�funa en el
mundo entero, [�] con muchos elementos que jam�s se han visto incorporados en la
cultura gar�funa�. Ivan Duran va m�s lejos: �si no fuera por Aurelio, probablemente
hoy la cultura parrandera de Centroam�rica ya no existir�a en la mente de los
j�venes�.
Como nos cuenta Ivan Duran, responsable de la producci�n del disco, su reto fue lo
siguiente: �despu�s de todo el trabajo que hizo Andy Palacio, �qu� se pod�a hacer
para demostrar al mundo que la cultura gar�funa sigue vibrante y es capaz de
desarrollarse a�n m�s?� Finalmente ese reto se ha superado con un �lbum excepcional
y experimental, que supone el encuentro entre la cultura gar�funa y la m�sica
africana, y tambi�n otras influencias caribe�as in�ditas en la m�sica gar�funa.

http://www.gladyspalmera.com/

*********************
Aurelio Martinez is from Plaplaya, off the coast of Honduras, and his music is
based on the Garifuna tradition � a people of African and Carib Indian mix. In
other words, it�s the joyous rhythmic marriage of South America and the Caribbean.
The Garifuna are a culture rich with myth and folklore. They and a number of their
French supporters were forced by English settlers to live in exile on the island of
Baliceaux in the late 18th Century. Similarly to the African slave tradition in the
United States, the Garifuna themselves were moved by force, but their musical
tradition continued to blossom in spite of it all. Theirs is a style that is
primarily percussion and instrumentally based, and is performed at festive times.
The modern day master of Garifuna music is Andy Palacio, now deceased, who
eventually took Martinez as his protege. Martinez�s newest record, �Laru Beya� is a
real beauty. It�s his second release, following 2005's �Garifuna Soul�. �Laru Beya�
was released January 18, 2011, via Next Ambiance, a label co-run by KEXP radio and
Sub Pop Records. Below is one free download offered by the label. Also, listen to
my favorite track on the record, �Wamada� courtesy of Aurelio�s Soundcloud page.
Note: Photo from artist�s MySpace page. � David D. Robbins Jr.
*****************
Passing the Garifuna Torch
By TOrr� January 12, 2011
Posted in: CD Reviews

Aurelio Martinez - Laru Beya

Aurelio Martinez

Laru Beya (Sub Pop/Next Ambiance NXA 002, 2011)

It�s been 7 years since Aurelio Martinez�s splendid Garifuna Soul album, and a lot
has happened since. The music of the Garifuna, a Central American people whose dual
African and indigenous heritage make for some of the most heartfelt, deeply rooted
sounds on the planet, has rightly become better known worldwide.

Sadly, the man who was most likely to bring the music ever further, Belize�s Andy
Palacio, passed away suddenly in early 2008, shortly after his universally
acclaimed release Watina. Palacio was a friend and mentor to the Honduras-born
Aurelio Martinez (who was featured on Watina), but Palacio�s untimely death ended
their relationship and any possible future collaboration.

Aurelio�s new Laru Beya is dedicated to Palacio and would certainly have done the
late master proud. For just as Watina stepped beyond tradition but still respected
it, Laru Beya expands upon punta, paranda and other sacred and secular Garifuna
rhythms.

Centered on the basics of percussion, acoustic guitar and call-and-response vocals,

Garifuna music has also incorporated blues and Latin elements. But a more
experimental approach has been taken in recent years, the result of Palacio�s
visionary ways and the efforts of the Stonetree Records label headed by Belizean
producer and musician Ivan Duran. It was Duran who was behind Watina�s distinctive
roots/modern duality, and he provides the same on Laru Beya.

Aurelio Martinez - Photo by Angel Romero

The title means �By The Beach,� which is where much of the album was recorded in a
home studio on the outskirts of a Honduran fishing village. Don�t get the idea,
however, that the results are out-of-the-way quaint. While there is a homespun
warmth to the music, it goes to some unexpected places. Including Africa.

As the liner notes recount, Aurelio had occasion to meet and travel with Senegalese
superstar Youssou N�Dour as well as do some recording in Dakar with N�Dour and his
Super Etoile band, a few local youths and the legendary Orchestra Baobab.

The Dakar sessions add festive African roots to the opening �Lubara Wanwa,� a
bittersweet paternity tale with vocal asides by N�Dour, the lively title track on
which Baobab singers Rudy Gomis and Balla Sidibe chime in, the Palacio tribute
�Wamada� and several other selections. Plus there�s the added vibe of
instrumentation (kora, calabash, xalam, tama, sabar, balaphone) previously unheard
on Garifuna recordings. Still, the album is far from a complete Motherland
takeover.
Those snared, buzz-toned Garifuna hand drums are prominent, small percussion
rattles and clicks away, acoustic guitars pick and strum and voices that are
obviously straight from the rural areas of Honduras and Belize sweeten many a
chorus. Aurelio�s nimble voice and guitar see to it that tradition is never too far
away, even amid the electric twang of Duran�s production style and touches as
surprising as bits of Senegalese rap.

And I�ve barely touched the surface. As much as Aurelio Martinez is carrying on the
work that Palacio achieved on Watina, he�s also making his own way by bringing
Africa and Central America closer together in a collection of songs that are rich
in rhythm, bursting with melodic inventiveness and stand as shining examples of how
Garifuna culture has touched the world and the world has touched back. Is it too
early to start thinking about candidates for the best album of 2011? I don�t think
so.

http://worldmusiccentral.org/

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