Watina
Palacio is from Belize and his music celebrates a culture calledGarifuna, in which indigenousArawakandCaribsounds, plus West African influences imported during the dark years of the slave trade are twisted around one another like a helix. Over the centuries, fiercely independent tribes-people maintained their identity even as European colonizers relentlessly pushed them from St. Vincent, where the Africans had been shipwrecked and intermarried with the local population, toward the Central American coast. But more recently, the culture had begun losing ground, especially in Nicaragua, a fact brought to Palacio's attention when he visited that nation as teenage literacy advocate. His impassioned espousal of his birthright began when he got involved withpuntarock, a synth-and-drum-machine-driven dance style popular during the 1990s. The present album represents a return to his roots. Blended Native, African and Latin exhalations create softly pretty, simply constructed, yet indelible melodies while percolating, hypnotic rhythms, some of which are anchored by a prominent Afro-Cubanclavé, get everyone moving. The songs are sung exclusively in theGarifunalanguage and built around folkloric sources like the ritual-baseddügü. There's not a false note anywhere in earshot but "Yagane", a seafaring tune composed by and performed with Paul Nabor, a septuagenarianbuyei(spiritual healer), is one stand-out; the delightful title track is another. The CD is enhanced with videos and other extras. --Christina Roden