The Garifuna Collective is the most traveled and seen Belizean band probably in its history. These musical and cultural ambassadors returned home today after spreading Belizean music, literally to the far ends of the earth, in Australia and New Zealand.
7News was at the airport to greet them as they touched down and we got to find out what a tour down under meant for the Collective.
The Garifuna Collective has come home. It's a homecoming from the furthest destination a travelling musician could begin to fathom, one that saw them lose a day while travelling there and living another day twice on the return trip.
And that's because the Collective spent the better part of a month touring Australia and New Zealand. This morning just moments after exiting the PGIA road manager and bass player Al Ovando told us about the group's first time in New Zealand and second time playing Australia.
Al Obando, Road Manager & Bass player
"Really good, everyone was excited because after Covid everybody at those festivals and the clubs we played at were booked like over 2 years and so this is like, everybody was just happy to be on stage again, sharing, you know that energy and that understanding with each other again and seeing each other again after such a long time as musicians. So, that war really really um, good for us and a good feeling."
"It's like they understand it right away, even the festivals we play have musicians from all over the world, you know, an when I say all over the world I am talking about from Europe to Africa to mean, to South America and a lot of indigenous people and cultures and tribes from all over the world, um, a lot of the groups are like women based. You know we met a lot of the aboriginal people from Australia, we got to sit down with them like talk to them casual, you know, just talk and so when it comes to that section we got to see everyone else's performance and everybody appreciated our performance the same way and so in the world of music we just fit right in."
And this time they played venues in Melbourne, Sydney and even the prestigious WOMAD festival. Emilio Thomas, is one of the youngest in the collective is the band's vocalist and guitar player. This morning he told us that his first experience in New Zealand is one that he and his band mates won't easily forget.
Emilio Thomas, Vocalist/ Guitar Player
"There were certain ceremonies that we assembled together that were very sentimental without many instruments and so every band got to do something acapella without all of that just the voices and the vibe and instruction to let everybody be a part of whatever we were presenting and especially New Zealand. New Zealand was a different experience, a human experience without distortion of religion and all the other stuff that is really affecting other indigenous cultures all over the world and that was the first timeI got into a situation like that so I'm still processing i. QI still need a couple more days or a week to even process that specific country but it was a worthwhile experience for all of us."
And after two whirlwind tours of Europe and Oceania, the Collective is set to finish their ongoing U.S. tour with a dazzling performance at the Summit of the Americas and an educational tour of several US universities.
Al Obando, Road Manager & Bass player
"After this we have a tour we started in the US in October and so. We will go and finish that up now, starting at the end of may and the ending of July and so we look forward again this is like each tour or section we do or each leg of the tour we do is, has its own vibe right? And so this part has that more educational components built into it, a lot more workshops um, schools universities, and also. At the same time more festivals in the U.S. which is a hard place to work."
Cherisse Halsall:
"What are some of the cities slated for the U.S. in case the diaspora what's to come to see you?"
Al Obando, Road Manager & Bass player
"In terms of cities it will be mainly the east coast, Boston area, New York, that whole area coming down from New York State, Albany, Rochester al the way down, the furthest West we will go will be Chicago and then we jump right across the border to Canada for the Sun fest in Ontario Canada, and um that should take up. The time and a bunch of clubs. We have some new agents working with us who, which is like you know that is the work we do. We met people and we ask people and people become interested so they don't mind sharing their contacts with us and that network and connection is what is happening now."
And, now Belize's most successful musical act to date, the band founded by the late great Andy Palacio is fulfilling its mission as cultural ambassadors and taking its unique blend of ancestral melodies and modern groves to the wider world.
This leg of the Garifuna Collective's tour began on February 28th and ended on March 20th.
As you heard the group returns to the U.S. and Canada in April.
