Garifuna musician Andy Palacio dies of Heart Attack
By Karen Juanita Carrillo
Forty-seven year old activist and musician Andy Palacio died in Belize City, Belize
this past January 19.
Palacio succumbed to a stroke that affected his brain and caused
respiratory problems.
Palacio, who grew up in the coastal village of Barranco, Belize and most recently lived in San Ignacio, Belize, was an important spokesperson for the Garifuna of Central America. He worked to incorporate traditional Garifuna music
– which is based on traditional African rhythms, and utilises turtle shell percussion, gourd rattles and wooden drums
– with modern rhythms.
In Belize, Palacio is a national hero and reports are that while he was sick, the
local media covered the status of his illness and those who were attending Garifuna spiritual ceremonies and praying for him
as much as
they covered the actions of the candidates contending for the current national elections.
In December of 2004, Palacio was appointed Cultural Ambassador and Deputy Administrator of the country’s National Institute of Culture and History. Palacio was awarded the Order of Meritorious Service in September 2007, and in November 2007 he was named a UNESCO Artist
for Peace.
When he won the WOMEX (World Music Expo) Award in October 2007 for his last critically acclaimed album Wátina, the artist noted that awards for his music served as “an extraordinary endorsement, not just for me as an artist -
but for a community that, despite the greatest challenges, has demonstrated a remarkable resilience, with cultural expression
at the forefront.”
“Words can’t express the sorrow we feel at the loss of such a tremendous person
and artist,” wrote Belizean producer and Stonetree Records owner Ivan Duran and Cumbancha record label owner Jacob Edgar
in a joint press release on the Cumbancha website.
“In an interview conducted last July, Andy was asked how he wanted to be remembered when he died.
He replied, ‘As a proud Garifuna...someone who instills pride in Garifuna and raises their self-esteem. To me, that’s
the most important thing.” This was already the case while he was alive, and we're certain it will only be more
true in the future.”
There will be an official state funeral in Belize for Andy Palacio and a tribute concert
in Belize City on Friday, January 25th.
The Cumbancha press release adds that “Friends
and supporters are invited to post messages in memory of Andy Palacio to his MySpace page (www.myspace.com/andypalacio) as well as to the blog of his international record label Cumbancha (http://cumbanchamusic.blogspot.com/)."
