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Garifuna Music and Drumming
Music is an integral part of Garifuna culture. Garifuna music is very distinct from the other styles of music found in Central and Latin America, but has become hugely influential.
Traditional Garifuna music is based on a small number of basic rhythms, which are played on the large bass, or Segunda drum, along with a much smaller tenor, or Primero drum. The Segunda drum maintains the same rhythm throughout a song, and so provides the "heartbeat" to any Garifuna song. The main rhythms are Paranda, Punta, Chumba, Hungu-Hungu, Wanaragua (also known as Jonkanu), Gunjei, and Dugu, and these are the rhythms that Ray will teach lesson participants. The Primero drum is used to play much faster counter-rhythms, and a drummer can only learn to play Primero once they have mastered the Segunda (now there's a challenge...).
Both drums are made by hollowing out solid hardwood logs, which then have skins applied using natural vine circles and rope. All Garifuna drums have a string or wire "snare", which produces the distinctive "buzz" of Garifuna drums.
Each Garifuna rhythm is usually accompanied by a different style of dancing and singing. Paranda, as played by the famous Belizean musician Paul Nabor and Honduran Aurelio Martinez, also features guitar. Punta is the best-known rhythm, and is the fastest rhythm, and was adapted into Punta Rock, now the most popular style of music in Belize. The Chumba rhythm is used to tell stories through dance about everyday Garifuna life and culture. The Wanaragua, or Jonkanu rhythm is used to portray interactions between the Garifuna people and white slave owners, and dancers to this rhythm usually wear elaborate outfits depicting the slave owners. Dugu is a sacred rhythm used in sacred Garifuna spiritual ceremonies, and uses only the Segunda drum. |
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