As you saw in a long-play advertisement earlier on in this newscast, on Friday, Andy Palacio went home to Barranco Village to receive the formal recognition as a UNESCO Artist for Peace. He joins a fairly exclusive club of global artists including Celine Dion, Gilberto Gill, Manu Dibango and Shirley Bassey. And the significance of his accomplishment was brought into sharp relief when he formally received the honor on Friday in his tiny home village of Barranco. It was an event where ceremony genuinely met with celebration. Here's the story.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
Welcome to Barranco, population 160, and on Friday the welcome would be for those coming from the sea as village elders oversaw a children's re-enactment of the Yurumei.
And while they came by dory, village boy turned global artiste Andy Palacio arrived by motor boat with a gaggle of international media, here to report on his ascent to international fame form humble village beginnings. But in Barranco they didn't care about those international press, it's Andy they wanted to see, as Andy came to a celebratory welcome.
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And Andy went arm in arm with his relatives and village elders, singing and celebrating - because this Barranco boy had found his way back come home - and on a Settlement Day weekend to top it off. The procession continued right to the open field near the church.
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Under the tent Palacio was greeted by warm embraces and kind words.
E. Roy Cayetano,
"Barranco is proud to acknowledge its own Andy Palacio, the son of Reuben Palacio and Cleopho Avilez. The grandson of Camila and Euphemio Avilez. Andy Namule, as you know, this is where your physical body as well as your artistic
potential was first nourished by your auntie. This is the one place where you can always land and just be the boy next door...We Garinagu and we Belizeans are proud of you and we honor you."
And with his mother looking on, Minister of Culture Francis Fonseca conferred upon Andy the recognition as UNESCO Artist for Peace.
Hon. Francis Fonseca, Minister of Culture
"Congratulations Andy, we are proud of you."
Andy Palacio,
"Every step that we take, working in music, working in culture, has very very powerful meaning for the communities from which we come."
Palacio ended the day by joining the elders in a traditional dance.
