By Christopher Cozier | Edited by José Francisco Ávila
Over the past five years, I’ve held conversations with different individuals about the origins of Punta Rock. It was the curiosity to learn more about Garifuna music, that led me to pursue the Smithsonian Folkways Certification in World Music Pedagogy, which has been tremendously helpful in conducting my research. Following is an introduction from one of the materials I read, followed by an excerpt of an Interview of Andy Palacio by Bomb Magazine, which explains the evolution of Punta Rock.
At any given moment, three kinds of music circulate within most communities: (1) music so old and accepted as “ours” that no one questions (or sometimes even knows) where it comes from, (2) music of an earlier generation understood to be old-fashioned or perhaps classic, and (3) the most recent or current types of music, marketed and recognized as the latest development. This recent music may be local, imported, or both. The last is most likely, because today the world is linked electronically; music travel much more quickly than they did a hundred years ago.
Music-cultures, in other words, are dynamic rather than static. They constantly change in response to inside and outside pressures. It is wrong to think of a music culture as something isolated, stable, smoothly operating, impenetrable, and uninfluenced by the outside world. Music history is reconceived by each generation.
Andy Palacio is a tough person to pin down. After all, he is the reputed “King of Punta Rock,” the driving dance beat from Belize that, believe it or not, can incorporate the fast tempo of Merengue, the swinging groove of Zouk, the thumping backbeat of Soca, and a range of other Afro-Caribbean and African forms. Most significantly though, this music is sung, predominantly, in Garifuna, a language derived from the meeting of Africans and Caribs on the island of St. Vincent in the 17th century, then called “Black Caribs” and known today as the Garifuna.
Belize’s geographic location has a lot to do with the music that influenced me while growing up. As an English-speaking nation in Central America, our national radio station had a very diverse playlist. This included reggae, soca, and calypso from the West Indies; funk, soul, country, pop, and disco from North America as well as salsa, rancheras, boleros, and merengue from Latin America. With my interest in music, I listened to everything and we tried to play whatever was popular on the radio.
Upon my return from Nicaragua, I heard Pen Cayetano and the Turtle Shell Band doing something new with Garifuna music. These guys were adding electric guitars and amplification to the traditional Garifuna drums and maracas and it was very appealing. What was even more appealing to me was that they were composing in our language. It was then that I decided to follow suit and focus on composing contemporary Garifuna songs.
For me, singing in my own language was more a matter of pride than anything else. Even if the song did not have any deep social or spiritual message, what mattered was the fact that it was contributing to the continued use and appreciation of the language. Internationally, it became part of my artistic identity. My novelty was largely due to my songs being sung in a “non-mainstream” language. I was really inspired by Kassav’ and Alpha Blondy, who I began listening to around the mid-’80s.
My use of modern technology in Garifuna music was in fact welcomed across age, ethnic, and geographic barriers. The traditional forms continued to flourish in their own settings while we gained more ground through innovation. In the recording studio, I (along with my arrangers and producers) was utilizing Garifuna rhythms such as Punta and Paranda, re-creating the drumming pattern on the drum machine and adding arrangements for keyboards, bass, guitars, brass and percussion. On top of that we were adding live Garifuna drumming and turtle shell percussion, with songs sung primarily in Garifuna with some English, Spanish and Belize Kriol.
Punta Rock took over Belize around the mid-’80s. It was in 1987 that Punta Rock became a nationwide craze; any band wishing to survive had to add Punta Rock to their repertoire.
I do a lot of listening and I don’t restrict my outlook. Guys like Michael Hyde and Junie Crawford, who worked with me as arrangers also interacted with Frankie McIntosh, for example. I did some of my early work with Lenny Hadaway in London and Lenny was doing work with Nelson, Scrunter, Arrow, Crazy, and so on at the time. Now you see? That is where the West Indian connection in my music lies.
The recognition of the Garinagu’s strong sense of identity goes way back before Punta Rock. What Punta Rock accomplished was to give Belize its own “national sound.” Punta Rock was born around the same time Belize became independent in 1981. At its highest point, Punta Rock was no longer simply “Garifuna.” It had become “Belizean” in that there was then a sense of national ownership.
In 1989 "Watu”, Fire became the #1 Hit in Belize and the first cassette single ever to be released in Belize. In 1990 Andy released “Ereba” Cassava. In 1991 Andy Palacio released “Shake Yu Waist,” a bilingual song in the Garifuna and Creole Languages. After I had developed an audience for my Punta Rock repertoire, I went ahead and recorded the single “Punta Medley,” which was essentially traditional Garifuna singing and drumming. It became an instant hit in Belize in 1993 when it was released on Caye Records. On January 1, 1994, Andy released the self-titled album “Andy Palacio” on Kalifa Records. In November 1997 Caye Records released Andy Palacio "Greatest Hits" arranged and produced by: Michael Hyde, Junie Crawford.
For me, it has been a long journey but it has had its share of rewards. Garifuna music, after all these years, can now be picked up at Tower Records, amazon.com, Borders, and just about everywhere else. It is only a matter of time before we hit the mainstream through a major label. However, my biggest dream is for our music and dance to be exposed and available to our own people right here in the Caribbean.
While other Belizean artists had experimented with early forms of Punta Rock, Palacio is credited with its incredible growth. He became the country's most popular entertainer.
On January 17, 2008, Andy Palacio passed away unexpectedly, shocking his fans and supporters around the world. Reported as a massive stroke followed by a heart attack and respiratory failure, Andy's death caught everyone by surprise and came at the peak of his popularity. Recognized as a hero to the Garifuna and a peerless musician by the world music community, his memory persists in the hearts and souls of his fans and supporters.