Aurelio Martinez -- Garifuna in Songs

AfroMundo Festival 2023 is supported by the New Mexico Humanities Council; the National Endowment for the Humanities; Bernalillo County; the Center for Educational Initiatives; Albuquerque City Council; Bold Futures; the Kellogg Foundation; and the McCune Charitable Foundation

The second AfroMundo Festival 2023 event at Outpost features one of Central America’s most gifted performers — renowned Honduran singer, songwriter, guitarist, percussionist Aurelio Martinez (aka AURELIO). Known for his powerful and evocative voice, Aurelio is a major tradition-bearer of the Garifuna culture and music, he is considered the Cultural Ambassador of the Garifuna nation. The Garinagu, commonly known as the Garifuna, are people of Amerindian and West African descendants who live along the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The original home of the Garifuna is St. Vincent (one of the windward islands in the West Indies) from which they were deported in 1796 by the British government and landed on Roatan island, situated in the Bay Islands of Honduras. Aurelio employs the poetics of Garifuna songs to introduce English speaking audiences to the history, culture and plight of his people. Punta songs and Punta Rock are a “reaffirmation of an identity deeply rooted in the origin, history and struggle of a common people.” His 2017 album, Darandi, a collection of his favorite songs from his career recorded to capture the sound of his incendiary live performances with some of the Garifuna world’s brightest musical talents, received much praise. The Morning Star noted that “The Garifuna have a history of escaping slavery … That experience informs the indomitable spirit and characteristic joie de vivre of their music.” Aurelio states, “We’re not going to let this culture die. I know I must continue my ancestors’ legacy and find new ways to express it. Few people know about it, but I adore it, and it’s something I must share with the world.” Joining Aurelio, (lead vocals, guitar and congas), will be Jovan Matute, bass and vocals; Andy Ordonez, shaker and vocals; Jose Manuel Cerrato, guitar; and Joel Martinez & Zyon Martinez, Garifuna drums. Admission is FREE but reservations are required.