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Belize  Belize is located on the Caribbean coast of northern Central America. It borders Mexico and Guatemala, and across the small Gulf of Honduras, to the South, lies Honduras. To its east, in the Caribbean Sea, the second-longest barrier reef in the world lines the coast, and many small cay islands sit in the reef.
The music of Belize is as diverse as its population, which consists of descendants from Mayan, Arawak, Carib, Spanish, British, and Western African cultures. The two largest cultural groups are Mestizos and Creoles, both combinations of the aforementioned nationalities.
This cultural diversity naturally gave rise to many different types of music within a very small area. The Mestizos developed their own form of marimba music, which combined Mayan ceremonial music and Spanish recreational music. The Creoles created Brukdown, a frenetic, danceable type of music that blends European harmonies with African rhythms, usually with an accordion player at the lead. Today, the coastal nation is home to many rising artists in the reggae, reggaeton, and hip hop genres.
Perhaps the most important music out of Belize comes from the Garifuna culture. The Garifuna developed out of intermarriage between Caribs and Africans who had arrived via a shipwreck, where they had managed to overthrow those who were attempting to enslave them. Two major types of music arose out of the Garifuna culture: Punta and Paranda.
Click on any of the links provided below to learn more about Belize and it's musical legacy! |
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 Afropop Vignettes: South America Afropop Vignettes: The Caribbean Andy Palacio: Taking Garifuna Culture to the World The Music of Black Peru: Cultural Identity in the Black Pacific |
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