Honduran citizen Aurelio Martinez is the leading exponent of Central American Garifuna music and cultural ambassador for his people’s scattered diaspora.
Tracing their ancestry back to the shipwrecking of slavery boats in the Caribbean circa 1675, their African roots can be clearly discerned in the characteristic percussion sound underpinning Aurelio’s paranda guitar style.
This, his fourth album, was recorded live at Real World Studios, and brings a fresh energy to a selection of his finest songs.
His impassioned vocals reflect the concerns of the Garifuna community and offer tributes to other musicians as well as to his late brother, Yange.
Upbeat and engaging, like the man himself, and backed by Guayo Cedeño’s vibrato-rich electric guitar, this album should bring more attention to an under-valued stream of Afro-Latin music. Welcome in that Caribbean sunshine!
