ss="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">During the eighteenth century, slaves were being shipped into Belize by the boatload, coming mainly from Nigeria (via Jamaica and Barbados). With the slaves came rhythms and tunes from West Africa and the Caribbean. Their music mixed with the existing music in Belize to create a specifically Belizean Creole tradition called brukdown.

Brukdown, popularized by Wilfred Peters, is a Belizean Creole creation. The music blends European harmonies with African rhythms. The call-and-response format and lyrical elements represent the native peoples of the area. Traditional brukdown instruments include banjo, guitar, drums, accordion, and the jawbone of a donkey, played by running a stick up and down the teeth. The style is typically found in rural areas, performed in recreation by rural workers. 


Contributed by: Jake Gold