On the road with Honduran musician Aurelio Martinez
American journalist Marlon Bishop embarks on a cultural journey with Aurelio Martinez, the finest ex...
Sat, 14 January 17
Honduran artist Aurelio Martinez credits his mother Maria with introducing him to the basics of Garifuna songcraft and she also provides the inspiration for this, his third album. Lándini is collection of Garifuna songs, both new and old, passionately performed and filled with teasing humour —be they meditations on relationships or chronicles of community life.
I can’t handle her character, I don’t know what to do with her and all her defects. I’ll just park her there, like a canoe.
This song could be about a love affair, or a difficult moment between relatives, but it gets to the heart of the bittersweet difficulties of close relationships, with music that straddles the upbeat and the melancholy with typical Garifuna grace.
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Please dress me up so that I can look beautiful when Nando comes back home.
Co-written with Maria, this tune chides unfaithful women who get into mischief while their men are at work. The singer, however, remains devoted and loyal, waiting eagerly for her love’s return.
Captain, please hold the wheel so you can land in Guanaja and save the life of all your passengers. Captain, do everything you can so you can bring us back to our families tonight.
Inspired by a tragic ferry accident in the 1990s that killed everyone aboard, this song, written by a grieving relative of one of the victims, implores the ferry captain take care as he guides his ship.
I cannot believe it. I will try and speak to him to see if he can wake up from his coffin.
A traditional song made up of several short vignettes, “Nafagua” describes the sorrow of a loved one’s sudden death, as well as the return of a long-lost traveler.
What did you bring me from Porto Barrios? You brought me these gold teeth. Now please buy me a new pair of shoes, and give me some money for a dress, so I can look good and show my girlfriends.
A light-hearted, humorous song by Maria, filled with good-natured teasing.
My boat is parked here and the people have gone to the bush. Look at me here, I’m waiting here by the river. Why is the plantation so far away? Why do we have to go so far to reap the food to feed our families?
A song about one of the main meeting places in Plaplaya, the river landing where villagers dock their boats, and a meditation on the difficulties of making a living.
It’s a really sad day. None of my friends have even brought me a plate of food. Mom, I know I’m useless now here, just lying in the hospital. When I die no one will care…Bury me by the beach in my town.
A newer song by Shelton Petillo, a young Garifuna composer in Belize, this tale of neglect and sadness captures a frequent theme in Garifuna songs, the feeling of being forgotten and abandoned by your loved ones.
They say there is authority and law, but that’s not true. What did I do, that they want to hang me?
This traditional song laments the singer’s sense of helplessness and injustice in the face of the community’s condemnation.
I hear the guitar from far away. I hear Aurelio and his guitar visiting midnight.
In this poetic account, Maria paints a vivid picture of her late-night vigils waiting for her musician son to return home. She hears his guitar first and knows he’s on his way.
On the road with Honduran musician Aurelio Martinez
American journalist Marlon Bishop embarks on a cultural journey with Aurelio Martinez, the finest ex...
Sat, 14 January 17
Every day that passes I see you with this sickness. This will bring you problems. It will always bring you babies. This is a bad disease that is going around town.
This song addresses the “sickness” many girls succumb to in Garifuna communities: pregnancy at a tender age. The song advises young women to think carefully about their choices before taking on the responsibilities of single motherhood.
I love my big sister, but if anyone touches her, the peace is over. Just because you’re older than me doesn’t give you the right to insult me. Never be ashamed of me, and I won’t be ashamed of you.
A traditional take on the many sides of sibling relationships, touching on protectiveness, rivalry, and a longing for reciprocity.
Ginger is medicine for my body. I’ve been in love with this woman a long time, but she won’t accept me.
Garifuna often use ginger medicinally, and singers like to chew on the root before performing. However, even the potent plant can’t help the singer of this song, composed by Aurelio, who bemoans women’s narrow focus on money and possessions.
Featured album
Released 14 September 2014
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