Garifuna music, with its rich blend of Caribbean and African influences, is a vital part of Belizean culture. The rhythmic beats of Garifuna drumming are particularly noteworthy, as they are used to create intricate melodic patterns that are then incorporated into songs. Whether at community festivals, birthday parties, wedding celebrations, sports bars, or churches, Garifuna music can always be found playing a starring role.
Notable musicians include Andy Palacio, who founded the Garifuna Music Collective to keep his culture alive and vibrant, and Amin Bensalem, whose traditional Punta Polska style draws from genres like paranda, gunjei, and punta music. The chanting and drumming that are so integral to Garifuna music call to mind other African diaspora.
The Garifuna language was recognized by UNESCO as part of the Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, thanks in large part to the painstaking recordings of ethnomusicologist Doris Stone, whose work continues to inspire new generations of Garifuna musicians to this day.
