Late last year, the Garifuna Collective was on tour in Europe promoting their recent album, Ayo, which pays tribute to musical legend, Andy Palacio. The group made a big splash in Europe and are heading back today for a second tour. This time, the Garifuna Collective will be undertaking a six and a half week tour of major European cities to perform the songs of Ayo that follows the success of the world renowned Watina album. The group stopped by Channel Five’s studios before leaving the jewel to give us an update on their new journey and their venture of promoting the intangible culture, the Garifuna music.

Lloyd Martinez, Male Vocalist, Garifuna Collective

“We released our first album after Watina and last year we went to Europe to promote that album. We were in Europe for two weeks and we did a wonderful job. So by promoting the album in Europe, we are now able to have a six and half week of gig in Europe. So hence the reason why we are going this time to play the music live for our fans in Europe.”

Reporter

“Is there a specific name for this tour or what can fans in the European market expect from the fans this time around?”

Desiree Diego, Female Vocalist, Garifuna Collective

“Well we are going to give it all we can, all we have. Based on the first one, we get good response from the people and now we are going back for this six weeks and a half and probably continue the tour from Andy.”

Reporter

“Talk to us a bit about what the group has been up to since the last time you stopped by to discuss the progress that you’ve been making as a collective and as artists working to promote Belize?”

Al Obando, Bassist and Road Manager, Garifuna Collective

“We have been working with agents—and it takes time—promoters and other people involved, to put all this work together for us to leave tomorrow. It’s a bunch of people working behind the whole team so it takes a good while to prepare. So after last year after, we did the major US/Canada tour. We did an introduction in Europe and now we are able to and we are honored to represent Garifuna music and the music of Belize in countries like Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, and Amsterdam. So we are having like major festivals, a lot of outdoor festivals. In the summertime in Europe, there is a bunch of festivals. At the same time, we are promoting the Ayo album in Europe, playing the songs off the album and continuing the work of Andy Palacio playing the songs from Watina, the Umalali project and just continuing to push the music of Belize.”

Channel 5

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The Problems of Touring With a Turtle Shell

The Garifuna Collective finds audiences that aren't cool with their main percussion instrument, the turtle shell. They travelled today and had to get a special permit for the shell., The man who plays it Mohobub Flores told us how it freaked out one Canadian concert goer:

The Collective got their turtle shell permit from the Fisheries Department.

Channel 7

Garifuna Collective making raves in Europe

Still on cultural performances…on the international stage, the Garifuna Collective is currently on a tour of a number of European countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, and Amsterdam. Not only is the Garifuna Collective attracting huge audiences wherever they perform, they are also gaining the attention of the international media. On the tour, the group is performing the favorite hits from Andy Palacio’s Watina album and their most recent release Ayo. We got a clip today from Manager of the Collective, Al Obando, who spoke of their mission to preserve the Garifuna culture in Belize.

Al Obando, Road Manager, Garifuna Collective

“The Garifuna Collective is the only group actually it’s like the first group to go on touring professionally from Belize. It’s the group doing it on our won, finding our way, finding the media people like you, getting the job done with all the advice from the festival owners and everything. We take advantage of it and we learn so when we go back we show the rest what to do and how to go about it and so we could continue the trend. So this group sets the standard for the entire country of Belize and that is our responsibility and we will be doing it as long as we have to until we have other groups ready to come and bring the culture of Belize to the rest of the world.”

The group left the jewel last Wednesday for the six-week summer tour.

Channel 5

The Garifuna Collective are having fun wowing Europe on their European Tour. They played at the Afro Pflingsten Festival in Switzerland on Sunday. Have fun guys!

Garifuna Collective -African Festival- Germany 2014

Belize's Garifuna Collective onstage @ The African Festival 2014 in Germany... Here is the begining of that Festival

Viel Temperament, schnelle Rhythmen und unbändige Spielfreude -- wenn die Band aus Belize in Mittelamerika loslegt, geht das sofort in die Beine. Mit ausdrucksstarkem, mehrstimmigen Gesang und breit angelegter Perkussion feiern Garifuna Collective die ganze Bandbreite ihrer Kultur. Als Nachfahren entflohener Sklaven aus Afrika und karibischer Inselvölker entwickelten die Garifuna ganz eigene Stilformen, die sie unabhängig und stolz gegen so manchen Kolonialherren verteidigten.

The Garifuna Collective Returns; Great Memories In Europe

The Garifuna Collective returned today from their European tour where they entertained thousands with songs from their latest album "Ayo". After traveling through several different countries all across Europe, they seemed glad to be back home. It's their second major tour in that part of the world, and when they landed at the PGIA today, We caught up where they told us about the tour's success.

The Garifuna Collective already has shown lined up in Belize and is working on its next album. As we've told you, this is the group's second European tour.

Channel 7

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Garifuna Collective Back from Extended Tour…

Preeminent Belizean musicians, the Garifuna Collective is back from an extensive tour of Europe.  During their travels, the group performed from a vast catalogue of World Music which spans several years and includes the music of legendary artists Andy Palacio and Sofia Blanco.  Before sold out crowds in Holland and Serbia, the Collective once again represented Belize on the international stage.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

The Garifuna Collective, famous internationally for its stellar body of work in the genre of World Music, returned from a five-week tour of Europe earlier today.  The performing trip saw the group playing before huge audiences across ten  countries, including Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.  According to road manager Al Obando, the outing was a great experience which allowed them an opportunity to further showcase Belizean music.

Al Obando, Road Manager, Garifuna Collective

“This is the longest tour, our longest European tour for the group so far and I think any group from Belize touring at this level.  All the festivals were really educational for us, I mean the band members came now with a whole different mindset, I mean everybody meeting all the different types of musicians, different musicians from all over the world which is the experience every time, sharing Belizean music and teaching the world about Belize.

Bandmate

Normally for the Garifuna Collective one of the main things for me is that I usually play the Segundo drum but it’s a totally different change now having to lead since Joshua [Arana] had school and had to stay behind.  I’ve done it before, it’s not something that’s much of a challenge to take that leadership role but it’s just a different feel on me to keep the sound of the band while being me, the best me I could be.  So that was a totally different experience but it was great.  And also the band performing in Serbia for the first time a band from Belize has ever been there to perform.  First time having that experience was one of the greatest experiences you could find.  The people from Serbia, their response to our Belizean music was like wow. When they hear our music thereafter they think that we are the best band in the world because they have never heard a sound like it before coming from Belize.  And then for some people in some countries, like the borders that we passed, they have never seen a Belizean passport.  So we were the first to be in that country, in those particular countries.”

Isani Cayetano

“How has the experience allowed you to grow, either artistically or in the specific genre or craft of music?”

Bandmate

“Well first of all I have seen many ideas and doing a show is more than just playing music and letting it sound good.  But you have to make sure that you connect with the audience and everything and it’s very important that we realize that we have a lot of work to do but we have the capacity.  We have the knowledge to share with others.”

The group performed the music of Belizean icon Andy Palacio, as well as selections from Ayo, their most recent release. Isani Cayetano reporting for News Five.

We do note that popular drummer Joshua Arana was unable to make the tour. 

Channel 5