And while Bounty Killa and Daville are bringing their global hits to Belize, a cadre of international music journalists are here to write about the Belizean music that Andy Palacio has taken to the world. His Watina album is a runaway international success, and even 9 months after its release, the global buzz about it continues to grow. They’ve toured the world and after winning the WOMEX award, it seems there is no stopping Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective. And that’s why a caravan of 15 journalists will be spending the Garifuna Settlement Day weekend with Andy Palacio.
It’s called a press junket, paid for by his record label and the Tourism Board. The first journalists arrived yesterday. CC Smith is from LA’s prestigious Beat Magazine – which has a circulation of about ten thousand. Smith told us why Andy Palacio and Watina matter.
CC Smith, The Beat Magazine
“I am just really proud of what he’s done, going back and rediscover his roots and put them out there for everybody else to enjoy because Belize has a very low visibility in the bigger world and its about time that people really understand your history, your traditions, and your culture and that is exactly what Andy’s doing, he’s put it out there and its been just enormously successful.
It is very well produced. The things that Ivan did as a producer adding these touches, kind of world music touches, and guitar, horns and unusual stuff, on the very traditional base of Andy’s Garifuna music.”
Andy Palacio,
“They will be traveling with me throughout the southern part of Belize to get an appreciation of the diversity and the level of activity taking in place in the different Garifuna communities, primarily during the Garifuna Settlement Day celebration season.”
The journalists will spend time in Barranco, Seine Bight, Dangriga, and Hopkins. The first event took place today in Andy’s home village where the Barranco boy was formally recognized as a UNESCO artist for peace.
