Putumayo Presents: Caribe! Caribe! (1999)

«When many Americans hear the term "Caribbean music," they tend to think of calypso, soca, and steel drums. But technically, music of the Caribbean also includes everything from Afro-Cuban salsa, Dominican merengue, and Puerto Rican plena to Jamaican ska and reggae. If any label can be counted on to have an eclectic, broad-minded approach to Caribbean music, it's Putumayo; and sure enough, Putumayo's compilation Caribe! Caribe! takes you all over the Caribbean. Not one to be predictable, Putumayo keeps the listener guessing by providing everything from the Black Uhuru-ish reggae of Don Carlos and Gold's "Movin' to the Top" to energetic, infectious sounds from St. Thomas (Osha's "Come Again"), Martinique (Kali's reggae-influenced "La Biguine des Enfants du Bon Dieu"), Belize (Andy Palacio's "Nabi"), and Barbados (Krosfyah's "In Mi System"). Nothing from Cuba, Puerto Rico, or the Dominican Republic is included, but one can hear a strong salsa influence on Haitian singer Beethova Obas' "Lina" and Curacao group La Perfecta's "Bai Drecha Bo Bin." Especially infectious is Aruban band E.Q.Q.'s exuberant "Promo Bia," which is sung in Papiamento, a language that is an unlikely combination of romance and African languages and Dutch. Like many other Putumayo compilations, Caribe! Caribe! boasts comprehensive, informative liner notes and treats the music with the respect it deserves.» (AMG)

Link in Comments

Paranda: Africa in Central America (1998)

«Paranda is a musical tradition of the Garifuna, whose ancestry can be traced to West Africans (Ibo, Yoruba, and Ashanti tribes) and the Arawak Indians of the island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean. Today the Garifuna live in Belize, where they established communities in 1802 after being first exiled to Honduras from their native St. Vincent, then fleeing Honduras to escape a civil war. Paranda combines Spanish, Arawak, and West African influences to make a lively, acoustic music that is heavy on percussion. Nearly all Paranda features large wooden drums called primero and secundo, as well as shakers and smaller drums made from turtle shells. This collection, titled simply Paranda, brings together some of Belize's few remaining Paranderos to document this fascinating musical genre.» (AMG)

Link in comments

Aurelio Martinez - Garifuna Soul (2004)

«Following in the footsteps of the legendary Parranderos from the Caribbean coast of Central America, with an enchanting blend of African and Latin acoustic roots, Aurelio emerges as one of the most exceptional Garifuna artists of his generation.

Acclaimed for both his preservation and modernization of the Paranda musical tradition, Aurelio's virtuosity is found in his distinctive, penetrating vocals and his talent as a composer. Aurelio was born into a family possessing a long and distinguished musical tradition in the small Garifuna community of Plaplaya in Honduras. Aurelio began playing guitar as soon as he was old enough to hold the instrument. By the age of six he was regularly playing drums at social gatherings. Inspired by his grandmother and his father, Aurelio gathered a vast repertoire, which later enabled him to develop his own style.

Garifuna Soul features the musical talents of Rolando Sosa, Lugua Centeno, Chela Torres, Justo Miranda, Andy Palacio, and others. Garifuna Soul was recorded by Ivan Duran and Gil Abarbanel in a relaxed atmosphere at Sandy Beach Resort in beautiful Hopkins village. The result is a natural sound that captures Aurelio’s spontaneous character and intensity. This new album, a mix of original and traditional compositions, includes 12 selections, comprising a rich blend of acoustic instruments and soulful vocals. With the stage set for an emotive fusion of traditional and modern, Garifuna Soul has revolutionized, with fresh elegance, the tradition of Paranda music.

Aurelio’s collaboration with Stonetree Records dates back to 1997, when he contributed to the now famous Paranda recording sessions, delivering three masterful performances, including his well-known composition: “Africa” and an inspiring duet with Andy Palacio. Aurelio is an original member of the Garifuna All Star Band and has taken his Paranda music to stages in France, Japan, USA, Mexico and neighboring Central American countries.» (CDBaby – click for more reviews)

Link in comments

The Rough Guide to Central America (2001)

«This is the first comprehensive single-disc collection of the various popular and folk styles from the Central American region of the world. Included on this album's 17 selections are representative tunes of the styles of Guatemala (marimba), Belize (brukdown), Nicaragua (trova), Honduras (punta), and countless variations incorporating reggae, salsa, son, cumbia, and local styles. The performers are well-known in the region, and especially in their native countries, so this is not a collection of field recordings. Nowhere is this more evident than in the album's opener by Belize's Andy Palacio; "Nagúara," from his album Keimon, is a solid blend of infectious pop with a traditional rhythm (garifuna). He makes a second appearance with "Lasmiselu," and it too is irresistible in its pop appeal and killer rhythmic invention. Also present is the truly wonderful Guadalupe Urbina with "Agosto Azul," from Costa Rica, a sublime blend of poetry and music. The crossbreeding, the miscegenation here, is almost unbelievable for its invention of new styles from old. Take Philip Montalvan's "Bilwi Luhpia Mairin," which is a seamless fusion of reggae and folk music from Nicaragua's indigenous Miskito tribe. But there are folk elements too, from Mr. Peters & His Boom & Chime, with his virtuoso accordion playing fronting a band playing brukdown, a form of black Creole music from Belize, or Guatemalan musician Jursino Cayetano's paranda, which uses garifuna drums, acoustic guitar, and Latin and Spanish rhythms in a folk song. There are also tracks here from Panama, El Salvador, and other nations. Whatever your taste is, it is at least reflected here. But for most listeners, this music will be a revelation, a stunning wake-up call that, even in the widespread marketplace ghetto called "world music," there is much that is within easy distance of our ears, yet never heard on these shores. Thank goodness for the Rough Guides and others like them. This isn't just good music, it is essential music for everyone interested in the world around them. A fantastic collection.» (AMG)

Dedicated to Andy Palacio

Link in comments