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ANDY PALACIO & THE GARIFUNA COLLECTIVE

Belizean Icon Andy Palacio Passes Away After Heart Attack and Stroke


January 19, 2008 - Andy Palacio, an iconic musician and cultural activist in his native Belize and impassioned spokesperson for the Garifuna people of Central America, was declared dead tonight at 9pm Belize time due to a massive and extensive stroke to the brain, a heart attack and respiratory failure due to the previous two conditions.


Palacio, 47, started feeling poorly last week and eventually visited a doctor with complaints of dizziness and blurred vision. On the 16th of January, he began experiencing seizures and was rushed to a hospital in Belmopan, Belize and then on to another hospital in Belize City. At this point, most people were hopeful Palacio would recover.

On January 17th, Palacio's condition worsened and he began experiencing more seizures. He was placed on an air ambulance to Chicago where he was expected to get treatment at one of the premier neurological facilities in the country. En route to Chicago, the plane stopped in Mobile, Alabama to clear immigration. At that point, Palacio was unconscious and it was determined that he was too ill to continue on the flight to Chicago. He was rushed to a hospital in Mobile, and placed on life support. There, doctors determined that the damage to his brain function was severe, and that his chances of recovery were slim. On January 18th, his family requested that he be flown back to Belize so that he might die in his homeland.

A national hero in Belize for his popular music and advocacy of Garifuna language and culture, news of Palacio's condition sent shockwaves through the community. At 5pm today, a public service was held in Belize City for Palacio as people prayed for his recovery. Ceremonies were also held by Garifuna spiritual leaders in an effort to help with the situation. Belize is in the midst of a heated election, but the local news was entirely dominated by Palacio's health crisis.

The reaction has also been strong around the world. Until the recent turn of events, the past year had been one of tremendous accomplishment for Palacio as his album Wátina, which was released at the beginning of 2007, had become one of the most critically acclaimed recordings of the year in any genre. Perhaps the most unanimously revered world music album in recent memory, Wátina appeared on dozens of Best of the Year lists in major media outlets around the globe and was roundly praised in glowing terms.

In 2007, Palacio was named a UNESCO Artist for Peace and won the prestigious WOMEX Award. Wátina was also nominated for the BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards. At home in Belize, the international success of Wátina has sparked a revival of Garifuna music, as young musicians have become inspired by Palacio's example. Even in the days since Palacio's health crisis began, the accolades have continued to pour in for his work.

That Palacio has been struck down at a moment of such international acclaim only increases the sense of shock and tragedy felt at his sudden and untimely death.

Andy Palacio will be honored with an official state funeral. A massive tribute concert is planned in Belize City on Friday, January 25th.

Friends and supporters are invited to post messages in memory of Andy Palacio to his MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/andypalacio) as well as to the blog of his international record label Cumbancha (http://cumbanchamusic.blogspot.com/).

AFRICA IN CENTRALAMERICA

Andy Palacio is not only the most popular musician in Belize, he is also a serious music and cultural archivist with a deep commitment to preserving his unique Garifuna culture. Long a leading proponent of Garifuna popular music and a tireless advocate for the maintenance of the Garifuna language and traditions, Palacio has recently undertaken a new and ambitious direction with the formation of the Garifuna Collective. Palacio became a leading figure in a growing renaissance of young Garifuna intellectuals who were writing poetry and songs in their native language. He saw the emergence of an upbeat, popular dance form based on Garifuna rhythms that became known as punta rock and enthusiastically took part in developing the form. About five years ago, Belizean producer Ivan Duran, Palacio's longtime collaborator and founder of the local label Stonetree Records, convinced Palacio that he should focus on less commercial forms of Garifuna music and look more deeply into its soul and roots. "The idea of the collective has been a long time in the making," says Palacio. "The chemistry of working with different Garifuna artists, not only within Belize but also from Guatemala and Honduras, was quite appealing and very satisfying to the soul."
The Garifuna people are an ethnic minority based on the Caribbean coast of Central America, their forefathers where brought as slaves to Central America, they blend elements of West African and Native Caribbean heritage. Their CD called 'WATINA' , is a  multigenerational line up of Garifuna musicians from Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras that will be released by the record label
'Cumbancha' (the new artist label run by Jacob Edgar of the Putumayo crew) on March 27, 2OO7.
These soul-stirring melodies and vibrant grooves from the Garifuna community of Central America unite the musical legacies of Africa and the Caribbean to create a powerful saga of exile, longing, hope and celebration. Years in the making, 'WATINA' is infused with contemporary influences, yet firmly rooted in the rich musical traditions of this unique and inspiring culture. Belizean icon, Andy Palacio, leads an all-star, multi-generational lineup to deliver a monumental tribute to the Garifuna of yesterday and tomorrow.

to see a video go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt6oOzyG9ec and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3m4RMZBnOU

to listen to songs go to: http://www.myspace.com/andypalacio

to watch the E-Card go to:
http://www.cumbancha.com

Stonetree Records

Interview on National Public Radio



 Line Up:

Andy Palacio - Vocals & Acoustic Guitar
Adrian Martinez - Vocals & 12 string Guitar
Joshua Arana - Garifuna Lead Drum
Carlos Perrote - Garifuna Bass Drum, Congas & Assorted Percussion
Giovani Chi - Maracas & Turtle Shell Percussion
Wilton Lewis - Electro-Acoustic Bass
Ramon Cedeno - Lead Electric Guitar
Rolando Sosa - Vocals, Tenor Sax & Percussion

With Special Guest appearance by :
Alfonso Palacio (aka: Paul Nabor) - Lead Vocals
Aurelio Martinez - Lead Vocals and Acoustic Guitar


style: garifuna soul
internet: http://www.cumbancha.com
origin: belize
size: 10 & company
touring period: summer & fall 2007


THE YOUNG SOUND OF MEXICO!

Los de Abajo

LOS DE ABAJO is a young Latin Big Band with the energy of a Punk or Ska band and a very powerful horn section. Their lyrics deal with political issues like social injustice and corrupt governments. They have strong sympathy for Subcomandante Marcos and the fight of the Zapatistas in Chiapas. The band's name is chosen from Mariano Azuela's classic novel about the Mexican revolution with the same title. LOS DE ABAJO enter the stage like a hurricane and "set it on fire". Their first European appearance at Berlin's legendary 'Heimatklänge' Festival in the summer of '99 was a tremendous success. With five great performances they conquered the hearts and hips of the Berlin audience immediately. Once again this band is a fantastic discovery made by World Music Impresario David Byrne. The European edition of their first international CD was released in May 2000.
LOS DE ABAJO toured the USA in September 2000 for the first time. They already took Europe by storm in June and July with 22 great shows. In October 2000 LOS DE ABAJO headed into the studio and began recording a new album with the boys from MACACO (a great band from Spain) manning the mixing board. In January 2001 the band performed 5 shows in Australia (Sydney & Perth Festival).
In June & July 2001 LOS DE ABAJO did a successful European Summer Festival Tour. They preformed one very convincing Showcase at the 2001 edition of WOMEX in ROTTERDAM. The new CD "CYBERTROPIC CHILANGO POWER" has been released in February 2002 in Europe.

Please note that LOS DE ABAJO won the BBC World Music Awards 2003
in the category: Americas.


More information go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/world/awards2003/nominees.shtml

LOS DE ABAJO LINE UP:

LIBER TERAN: Lead Vocals, Flute, Guitar
CARLOS CORTEZ: Bass, Background Vocals
ODISEA VALENZUELA: Trombone, Vocals & Percussion
VLADIMIR GARNICA: Electric Guitar, Tres Cubano, Jarana
CARLOS CUEVAS: Keyboards & Accordion
YOKUPITZIO ARELLANO: Drums, Background Vocals
DANIEL VALLEJO: Tenor Saxophone & Alto Saxophone
CANEK CABRERA: Trumpet, Jarana, Vocals & Rapping
JAVIER ZUNIGA: Percussion
PAVEL SANDOVAL: Electronics & Percussion


style: latin big band
label: http://www.losdeabajo.com
origin: mexico-city
size: nine & company
available dates:  
FOR HI-RES PHOTOS
AND A COPY OF THE BIOGRAPHY,
PLEASE GO TO: 		http://www.luakabop.com/photobio

More information about Los De Abajo

You can download an interview in German (pdf-file)

The Guardian, June 22 20OO

Review: Ronnie Scotts, London

Los de Abajo Robin Denselow

Salsa, the sound of the summer, is coming in many guises. The elderly best-selling Cubans from the Buena Vista Social Club are back yet again, this time rivalling Elton John with their massive outdoor show at Hyde Park. New bands like the Anglo-Colombian Sidestepper promise to enliven the festival season with their Latin clubland dance fusions. Here, adding to the mix, is an outfit from Mexico City, dubbed the "first punk salsa band", who bring radical politics back to the dancefloor with a rousing, cheerfully angry style that sounds like a Mexican answer to 2-Tone, with a batch of unexpected influences added in. Los de Abajo (literaily "those from below") are a young ninepiece band who are mostly graduates of Mexico's national university. They take their name from a novel about a disillusioned soldier.
Mexico is a cultural melting-pot, and its North American, South American and Caribbean influences are reflected in the group's wildly varied songs. They mix salsa with cool, slinky or witty political ballads (a reminder of the early work of Ruben Blades, down in Panama), then veer into stomping ska, complete with wild pogoing or skanking from the entire band. Then they add in some reggae and even a Mexican country polka before returning with a vengeance to those Latin rhythms - the basis of their songs.
Arriving at Ronnie Scott's for their first ever London date after having played out of town earlier in the day, they hurled themselves into an exhausting two-hour set that became more frantic by the minute. They started, conventionally enongh, with choppy salsa dance songs, with singer and flautist Liber Tiran backed by a slick three-piece brass section, headed by the band's one female member - the inspired singer and trombonist Odisea Valenzuela - along with keyboards, drums and percussion. Then they began branching out, introducing accordion and guitar, throwing in dance routines that would have impressed Madness, and making some attempt to explain in English the rousing songs that apparently dealt with corruption, Aids, the Zapatista uprising and the plight of Mexico's impoverished Indians.
Their debut album, simply called Los de Abajo and released through David Byrne's Luaka Bop label, is a pleasantly rousing introduction to the band but it's not a patch on their live performance. They turned Ronne Scott's into a dance club and would work wonders at festivals, fiestas or political rallies.

INTERVIEW WITH DAMIAN PORTUGAL @ ROSKILDE FESTIVAL

You can watch this interview with Real Player or Windows Media Player

We met Damian Portugal, saxophonist in Mexican "Los de Abajo", on a windy Thursday afternoon behind the Ballroom Stage - just a few hours before the Roskilde Festival was about to perform. "Los de Abajo" plays a groovy mixture of ska, salsa, Mexican styles, punk and rock with catchy melodies. First and foremost it is PARTY music. But just as the Mexicans celebrate the Day of the Dead with a party, one can also combine party and political messages.
Not all Latinos sing just about amor, tequila and fiesta. "First we have to satisfy our basic needs" says Damian. "We have been abused for so long. Our fathers have been abused, our mothers, our kidsŠ" Now all this has to stop!!! And so it was a great experience for the band to play for 150.000 enthusiastic Mexicans, yelling songs about political change in front of the Parliament in Mexico City, D.F. According to Damian, the young people of Mexico are beginning to wake up, they want changes. Immediately after the interview Liber Terán, lead singer of "Los de Abajo", can be heard singing a few lines about liberty. Especially for YOU!!!

Mikkel Hviid Hornnes
Freelancer at the Ballroom Scene / TVropa

Mikkel Hviid Hornnes Interview with Los de Abajo Tvropa.com

The Underdogs of Chilango City

Chilango (n.) - chee LONGO - Hispanics - Specifically Mexico City inhabitants. People from Mexico's provinces use it as an insult denoting a lazy, tricky, cheating person from the big city. Seen on bumper stickers: "Haz Patria, Mata Un Chilango" (Make Mexico great, kill a Chilango).

In the grand summit of underdogs gathered under the big circus tent of Mexico City's painted sky, the true citizens of Mexico, those who for more than 500 years had been abused by so-called Progress and its untamed brother Corruption, celebrated their freedom from the tyranny of greed. We could see Subcomandante Marcos and the commanders of the liberation army sitting on benches, shaking hands and drinking pulque with other pueblo dignitaries. Che Guevara, Simon Bolivar, Emiliano Zapata, Pancho Villa, Mariano Azuela, Bob Marley, The King of Bongo, Frida Khalo, Super Barrio, were among the others we could recognize from the stage.
Near the stage, where we were set up to entertain the thousands gathered here, we sang about liberty. We danced with equality. We entertained with our identity intact. Finally, we are not alone.
Before this great summit, in another time, we would speak about the mystery of this City of Chilangos, El De Efe. Only few can comprehend its magic. We explained to peoples around the world, to gringos especially, that Mexico City is New York City but in Superman¹s warped world of Bizarro-- that extra-dimensional place where nothing is right, but it is for its residents.

Mexico City is too big for one set of rules. Mexico City is one of tradition, of surprises, of constants. In Traditional Mexico City, you don't know in who you can trust, and this mistrust breeds violence. You have your great friends, and you can trust them. But you can also trust that when your friends don't meet eye-to-eye with someone else's group of friends, there'll be violence. This violence becomes infinite because they feel the only way to resolve disputes are through bloodshed.
In the Mexico City of Surprises, you're surprised that you can walk down a street and witness the convergence of time. At the El Zócalo square you can see on one side is the National Palace, where the president devises way to steal more from his people. On another side is the Cathedral, where the church was allowed to openly steal. There's a modern commercial center, which is sanctioned to steal from shoppers. And the last corner has the tip of an Aztec pyramid pushing up from below-- a reminder to all of the origins of the underdogs, Los De Abajo, who will come to steal everything back. Surprises inspire art, and everywhere you go you'll see it.
Constantly renewing itself, Mexico City has never truly settled. They've tried to impose their laws on us, but it has never worked. We are not from Europe, even though Europeans came to settle here. We don't belong anywhere else but here. Politicos from the Occident have been trying for centuries to fit a square peg into a round socket; it's not going to happen. Remember the Virgin of Guadalupe used to be white, and now she's chocolate colored.
At the summit banners in black and red above the big leaders' tables had these words scrolled in large letters: Liberty, Identity, Equality. What else would we be celebrating? The pamphlets that were distributed before the party addressed the meaning behind each word. We liked them so much, that Los De Abajo included them in our lyrics.
"Liberty," it said, "is the power to be who you want to be." It's true; I don't want to be Superman, or some guy that comes out on the cover of the latest glossy magazine. I want to be me, the way that I am now. I want to be respected for who I am, and not have to be discriminated against for the color of my skin, or my accent or my body structure. To hell with those who say that because you were born a certain way you're fucked. Fuck them!
"Identity is knowing who you are," the pamphlet said. And that's what this entire party is all about, our Mexican identity. Until this day, no one fully understood who we truly were because we are indefinable as a people. Our blood is restless, because we are the bastard children of a forced marriage between Jesus and Coyolxauqui. We have a demented uncle named Sam, and our brother is Emiliano. We navigate along the Rio Grande, where on one side we are ilegales and on the other we're simply alien. Aliens in our own land. Identity is a sense of always becoming, and being sure of it.
And this last ideal is something the West likes to talk about a lot, but doesn't have a good grasp on it after all, "Equality." Four words are under this title: "We are all equal."

In one of the songs that we sang at the summit we improvised some lyrics that dealt with this. If I remember correctly, it went something like:
There are no güeyes better than others
Being equal is not a given right; it's just common sense
You step on the same grass, sit on the same chair as Bush
He eats, he drinks, he shits, just like you and me
Why should we accept that there are some who think they are better than us?
And when the day comes, where alien invaders land on earth
They're not going to say: 'This one is black, and this one is white.'
They're going to see a bunch of humans
That's all, that's all, we're all just human
We're all just human.

Demeterio Macias
An Underdog
Chilango City, September 2011