...is the traditional Garifuna song Maya Hatina (They Can't Bake Cassava) performed by Lebeha Drummers from Hopkins Village, Belize. This song appears on the band's new album Biama — another discovery thanks to Songlines. I find its simple lyrics strangely inspiring.
Maya HatinaMaya Hatina Mebura Hatina. |
They Can’t Bake CassavaI haven’t worked and I don’t bake. |
...is Sielpa by Aurelio Martinez, from the Honduran singer's new album, Darandi (out now at Real World Records).
...is Mongulu performed by The Garifuna Collective (Belize). This song appears on their 2013 album Ayó. From the liner notes:
In February 2007 Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective released Wátina, an album that received unanimous acclaim and elevated the international profile of the music and culture of Central America’s Afro-Amerindian Garifuna community. On the cusp of tremendous fame, Palacio passed away suddenly at the age of 47 not long after Wátina was released, leaving many to wonder who would continue bringing the voice of his people to the world.
With Ayó (“Goodbye” in the Garifuna language) Palacio’s band proves they are up to the task. With a lineup that consists of the best musicians in the fertile Garifuna music scene, The Garifuna Collective promises to carry the torch of cultural innovation and promotion passed on by Andy Palacio far into the future.
This week, music from the part of Latin America I know very little about. Niraü Hagabu, sung in Garifuna language, by Honduran singer, composer and guitarist Aurelio Martínez, from his album Garifuna Soul.
Kirill
