This from Ivan Duran at Stonetree Records:

Andy Palacio is in critical condition after suffering a stroke and is being flown this evening to the United States for urgent medial treatment at University of Chicago Medical Center.

His cousin, National Garifuna Council President, Micheal Polonio will be accompanying him and i will be arriving in Chicago tomorrow afternoon.

We are all still in shock with what has happened to our friend and fellow artist that we have not wanted to send a press release until all tests are completed and we know more about Andy's condition.

Right now, the focus is on making sure that Andy gets the best medical attention possible and I want to take this opportunity to thank the
Government of Belize and especially Prime Minister Said Musa and NICH president Yasser Musa for their unconditional support and ensuring that
Andy receives the care he needs.

Prayers are always helpful. Please think of Andy Palacio's recovery.

This is terrible news. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Andy is a great guy and talented musician who has successfully been working to bring Belizean & Garifuna music & culture to the world.
http://www.stonetreerecords.com/albums/watina.php

Here's Andy's Myspace Page http://www.myspace.com/andypalacio


Andy Palacio is on life support.



Contrary to reports, Andy has not died, but is clinging on to life in Mobile, Alabama.



Just a few minutes ago, NICH President and friend of Andy, Yasser Musa, confirmed the singer's condition to Krem News.



Andy was flown out of the country yesterday evening on a private jet to receive emergency care at a hospital in Chicago. However, his flight never made it to Chicago. Reports are that he had a medical emergency in mid-air and the jet had to land at the nearest destination, Mobile, Alabama.



Palacio reportedly has been suffering from a cholesterol level above 500. Normal levels are somewhere around 200. Physicians believe this may have complicated his health, and led to blood clots that triggered multiple strokes and a minor heart attack.



It is expected that Andy’s immediate family will decide the way forward within the next 24 hours.



Belizeanvibez
http://www.BelizeanVibez.com
Phone/Text: (310) 895-8369

The most recent from Stonetree:

Dear Friends:

We’re deeply saddened to report that Andy Palacio has experienced what was apparently a severe heart attack and is in grave condition. He is currently on life support and the prognosis is not good. We are all hoping for a miracle and that Andy will regain consciousness, but at this point this does not seem likely.

Andy started feeling poorly a few days ago and visited a doctor with complaints of dizziness and blurred vision. On Thursday he began experiencing seizures and was rushed to a hospital in Belmopan, Belize and then on to another hospital in Belize City. The doctors initially though Andy, who was still conscious and communicative at that time, had experienced a stroke, and were even diagnosing multiple sclerosis at one point. At this point, we were all hopeful Andy would recover.

Yesterday, Andy’s condition worsened and he began experiencing more seizures. Andy is a national icon in Belize, and the story of his illness has not only been big news there, the Prime Minister has been putting his full support behind Andy’s treatment. When Andy’s condition started to decline, 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, Andy was unconscious and it was determined that he was too ill to continue on the flight to Chicago. Andy is currently in a hospital in Mobile, Alabama where he is in a coma. His cousin, Michael Polonio, is by his side and Andy's daughters will be arriving shortly .

It is impossible to describe the pain we feel from this unfathomable tragedy. We will notify you if we hear any significant updates on Andy’s condition. In the meantime, keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely,

Ivan Duran and Jacob Edgar

We’re having a prayer mass at 5pm, hoping that Andy has a very speedy recovery and I would personally like to extend an invitation to everybody to come out and support in solidarity praying that our National Hero, our Brother, our Father, our Friend gets better, gets well as quickly as possible.”

The prayer Mass will be held at 5 pm at Saint Martins De Porres Church here in Belize City.

Palacio on life support; flies home tonight
He is a true Belizean hero, a cultural icon whose journey from Barranco Village to international musical stardom was as dramatic as any rags to riches story appearing on the silver screen. But tonight Andy Palacio is in trouble, the kind of trouble from which there is usually only one exit. Tonight, we have the latest update from his family.

Loretta Palacio, Family Spokesperson
“Everybody has a mission and when God knows that your mission is complete...so if Andy’s mission is not complete, we will be talking to Andy again so we just have to trust in God, he’s a good God and that is where we are at at this point.”

Tonight Belizeans at home and abroad are preparing for the worst as this afternoon the family of Andy Palacio confirmed that doctors can do nothing more for the musician. Palacio was placed on life support Thursday night and will be flown home by air ambulance tonight and admitted to Universal Health Services.

The forty-seven year old singer and songwriter collapsed on Tuesday in Belmopan and on Thursday, his cousin and President of the National Garifuna Council, Michael Polonio accompanied a critical Palacio by air ambulance to the United States where additional neurological tests had been scheduled to determine the precise cause of Andy’s condition.

Yasser Musa, President, NICH
“They were to go to Chicago but they had to stop in Mobile Alabama because there was a critical emergency as it related to his health and so now we are waiting for this two daughters to come from New York to go to Mobile, meet with Mike and have a consultation with the medical personnel to make a determination as to what is the future.”

Word of Andy’s fate quickly spread to friends and fans today. President of the National Institute of Culture and History Yasser Musa today called on the public to offer their support to Palacio’s loved ones.

Yasser Musa
“The children is what we need to remain focussed on, that is my consideration. The family of Andy Palacio is what is important. We have to remain strong and we have remain determined that whatever comfort we can give to the children of Andy, we will do so and do so with our love because he is our hero and he deserves no less.”

At four-thirty this afternoon, the Palacio family addressed the nation at a press conference in Belize City.

Loretta Palacio
“On behalf of Andy’s family I would like to say thank you, a big thank you for everybody who has been outpouring with support and prayers via the internet, the phone calls, it’s really been overwhelming, handling getting Andy out, last night and plus today, people just showing love and affection. We ask that everybody continue to pray and that will keep us close together as a people because Andy is loved by so many people.”

There is still no definitive determination of exactly what struck Andy Palacio down but doctors in Belize and the U.S. continue to assess his medical condition. A mass has been planned for Andy Palacio for tomorrow January nineteenth at St. Martin’s DePorres Church in Belize City.

Rafael Martinez, Friend
“I would personally like to extend an invitation to everybody to come out, to come out and support in solidarity. Pray that our national hero, our brother, our father, our friend gets better, get well as quickly as possible.”

Adrian “the Doc” Martinez collaborated with Palacio in the Garifuna Collective. Today he used song to ask God to give Andy health and strength.

Adrian “the Doc” Martinez
“I would like people to remember Andy by being a person willing to give of himself to help everybody else. I am sure he would like me to step to the forefront and do the work because we had had so many discussions, myself and him. Right now I’m at U.B. and I’m studying and that’s something he has recognized with me and he tried to keep me as close to possible to him and he had spoken to me about that already you know, he want me to step to the plate as well and to move the music as we go along. So if he’s unable to do it, then I guess I will have to pick up the slack.”

Yasser Musa
“Just last year we saw the phenomenal rise of Watina and how we became overwhelmed with joy as Andy Palacio showed us that Belize is a great place, not because of politics, not because of ethnicity but because of culture.”

“We must be prepared for the worst but we must never forget that it is the artist, the musicians, the crafts people, the writers, the poets, that make us who we are.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona

The Prime Minister has assigned Cabinet Secretary Bobby Leslie to coordinate bringing Andy home and the Government has and will continue to assume all financial costs of his medical care. 2007 was an amazing year for Andy as he received the Order of Meritorious Service from the Government of Belize, was named UNESCO Artist for Peace and earned the coveted WOMEX Award at the World Music Expo for his breakout album Watina.

I met Andy in September and had a wonderful chat with him. What an engaging personality. He was so full of life and song. This really sucks...

Andy Palacio passed last night at around 9 pm for those of you who havent' heard. What a terrible loss for his family and all his friends and fans and the music world. I love his music so much!! Sad sad sad.
And he was so young to be taken from this world!!!

Andy Palacio touched so many people with his music and inspired so much pride amongst Belizeans. This will be a great loss for the Garifuna community, the nation and the world. His music will live on. RIP.

How incredibly sad! He was far too young for this to happen.
RIP Andy. The world is a better place for having known you.

Belizean Musician 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/).

tragedy. What a loss. A little bit of light went out in the world today....He will be missed

A true tragedy. What a young and talented man so many appreciated. My thoughts are with his family and wish them love.

We are all sadden by the lost of this great man.

My prayers goes out to his family.

Our hearts are heavy, and we’re still trying to wrap our heads around the news.

Andy, ayó, Da aü.

You’ve been a presence in our home,
Blowing a breeze over us,
Giving us strength,
Opening our eyes,
Making us wiser,
Lárigi weyu.

Kaba fun asana ayanuha Garifuna ámuñegü.
Kaba funa san arumaha o ámuñegü.

We shall always celebrate and honor his remarkable life and work.

tears

Dear friends,

It is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing away of our
friend Andy Palacio.
Andy died last night after having suffered a massive stroke to the brain
and a heart attack.

I feel priviliged to have known and worked with this truly unique artist.
For those of you who are not familiar with his work, I urge you to get a
copy of his 2007 masterpiece "Watina", which defined not only Andy's
roots; but also his exceptional talent.

In 2007 Andy joined Fatboy Slim for some recordings in my studio. These
recordings show Andy's openness towards all kinds of music, and will
surely forever remain a treasure to me as a unique melting pot of Andy's
cultural background and message, and the "modern" world who had so much to
learn from the message that Andy brought through his music and kind
spirit.

Andy is now singing his wonderful songs from somewhere else; but we will
always be here to listen to his message.

"I wonder who will bake cassava bread for us in times to come. I wonder
who will speak to me in Garifuna in times to come. I wonder who will sing
Arumahani songs with me in times to come. I wonder who will heal us with
the dugu in times to come" (Andy Palacio, "Amunegu", 2007)

In memory of Andy Palacio (1960 - 2008)

Ebbe Weile
http://www.matagrandestudios.com

Taúnigigua bá búngua. See you when I get there bredda.

Andy Palacio, Who Saved Garifuna Music, dies at 47

From NPR...

The headline in today's New York Times obituary reads "Andy Palacio: Saved Garifuna Music." It neatly sums up what this cultural advocate was able to achieve in his tragically short life.

And even early in his career, when Andy Palacio was focused on party music, he always kept the sound of his Garifuna people in his back pocket.

This song, "Til da mawnin'," captured the fun-loving spirit of Palacio's Punta Rock music in the 80s and early 90s. But Palacio told me last year that when he was much younger, he witnessed something that he never forgot. As a high schooler in Belize, he had taken part in a project in neighboring Nicaragua teaching the Garifuna language.



Andy Palacio rocking the party in Dangriga at Punta Fest in November 2003: photo: Marco Werman


“I was only 19 at the time, and nobody of my age group knew a single sentence in our language. There were only a handful of elders able to communicate with me the way. I would with my mother at home. I decided to compose songs more in my own language, and to express myself in Garifuna in a way that would be appealing to my own generation and to generations that would be coming after me.”

Palacio's Punta Rock dance sound was his first creation of Garifuna music. But then he dug deeper down to the African roots of the culture. Palacio worked closely with record producer Ivan Duran. And last year, they released the critically acclaimed album "watina." It featured such introspective songs like Amunegu.

“Amunegu expresses concern for the future of Garifuna culture. Basically asking questions such as who will speak Garifuna with me in times to come. Who will perform the dugun, which is the healing ceremony, with us in times to come. And just asking questions like these, and offering the advice that the time has come to teach and for these things to be learned. Lest we lose them altogether.”

That may not sound like a winning approach to creating pop music. But Palacio found that this gently modernized exploration of his roots music charmed Belizeans, especially his own Garifuna people. Dezree Arana is from Dangriga, Belize, the heart of Garifuna culture. Now she herself is singing this music.

And, as she told me after a recent performance, she is respected for picking up Palacio's lead in keeping Garifuna culture alive.

“Young Garifuna women, children, even older folks than I am, they're so pleased to know that we could come out and do stuff like this and it's a pleasure and it makes me feel very big.”

The Garifuna have a fabled history going back to the 18th century. They were African slaves who rebelled against their masters on the island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean.
When the rebellion was quashed, British colonizers eventually exiled the Garifuna to the Central American mainland.

Today, the Garifuna number less than a quarter million in the whole world.

That includes their homeland along the coast of central Belize, as well as Honduras, Nicaragua, and New York City where many have settled.

Last October in Spain, Andy Palacio and producer Ivan Duran shared the 2007 award from WOMEX, the World Music Expo.

In typical modesty, Palacio downplayed his efforts to preserve Garifuna culture.

“The true heroes behind our music are really those first Garifuna fighters who in the 18th century on the island of Yurume, St. Vincent, stood up against slavery, colonization, and cultural domination.”

To his credit, Andy Palacio will be seen as the force that kept the Garifuna past from drifting away from its present and future. He showed the enormous difference one person can make. Some biologists save endangered species. Some libraries save rare books. Andy Palacio saved the songs of his people, and in the process gave their culture back to them.

~Marco Werman.