When you hear bruckdong music, you almost often think about late musical icons like Leila Vernon and Mister Peters and the Boom and Chime Band. On Saturday at seven p.m., the House of Culture in Belize City will come alive as the Bruckdong Bram Festival kicks off.� Dubbed a Chroo Chroo Kriol Krismus, the event will feature something for the entire family. Director of the Institute of Creative Arts, Kim Vasquez told News Five more about the festival and how it is expected to keep the culture alive.�
Kim Vasquez, Director, Institute of Creative Arts
"Bruckdong bram in some way or form has been around for more than a decade; we’ve seen it take different forms - sometimes it has a competition element, sometimes it's during the day, it's been in the night; it has changed venue. But now we know that it is back at the House of Culture, it's gone back to its roots. And we felt we had to do this revival cause we had to do this for bruckdong music. We say that bruckdong is somewhat endangered. We don’t have many musicians fully committed to the genre as before. We five kudos to those that are carrying it forward like Cocono Bwai and Dawgy, Brukdong Gyal and now Missy B, but we recognise the need that we really have to try to do everything we can to ensure that it continues. We’ve incorporated a Creole market component. We are excited to have sorrel wine there; the entrepreneurs are coming out. We have donuts that will be Creole flavoured, lemon pie donuts and wangla-glazed donuts. Rumpope will be there, black cake will be there - yo wah could get it by the slice or whole. And of course, the fire hearth food and one of our main sponsors, Travellers Liquors, will be there with the full rum bar. So it is concert, it is festival; there is a pikney corner because it is a family affair - face painting, bouncy house, trampoline, popcorn - everything will be there."
Star Line Up at Bruckdong Festival; History and Music
Included on the line up are Bredda David and Tribal Vibes, Cocono Bwai, Harrison "Dawgie" King, Sam Harris, Missy B, Lord Rhaburn, Bus Cunu Band, Brukdong Gyal and Brad Pattico. Pattico says that he is ready to take those in attendance back through time with the music.
Brad Pattico, Promoter of Belizean Culture
"It is called bruckdong for a reason. I've grown up listening to bruckdong music. I've grown up literally watching those guys come to my house with their accordion, their banjo, their grater, their fork, their guitar and the rest of it and they had a wonderful time. So with that experience, I thought that it would have been good to reflect on this, looking back at where Belize was. We gained an experience of seeing where it has been, where it could go and where it is right now and it is beautiful. I think if we would reach out more to our younger family of kids and that sort of stuff and teach them these songs. It may be simple words, but why sing twinkle twinkle little star when we have the songs that we know so very well like "Mister Martin got wah leaky ole dorey" and "sal sal everyday, won't you change this meal for me. Wasn't an account of yankee provisions starvation in this land," which tells a story actually from way back, 1931 hurricane. And the guy bring out this song because of weh dehn used to do. And I grow up with it too."
Kim Vasquez, Director, Institute of Creative Arts
"We have this full line-up of all the leading bruckdong artists. We have the Boom and Chine Band that will be there - they are keeping up the music and the memory of Mister Peters. We are looking forward to seeing his great grandson on the turtle shell. We look forward to seeing Brukdong Gyal who is coming out with new music. So this is strictly a bruckdong music affair. Very Belizean, very Creole Christmas and we invite everyone to come out."
Tickets are being presold at the Bliss Box Office. They are only ten dollars for adults and five dollars for children. Gates open at six and the concert starts at seven p.m.