Wátina (Andy Palacio) by The Garifuna Collective

Years in the making, Wátina is infused with contemporary influences, yet firmly rooted in the rich musical traditions of the Garifuna culture. Belizean icon, Andy Palacio, leads an all-star, multi-generational lineup to deliver a monumental tribute to the Garifuna of yesterday and tomorrow.

The tale of Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective traces its roots to the early 1980s, when a teenage Palacio traveled from his home in the Central American country of Belize to Nicaragua to serve in a literacy campaign. Palacio is Garifuna, a unique culture based on the Caribbean coast of Central America that blends elements of West African and Native Caribbean heritage. Andy was told that Nicaragua’s local Garifuna traditions and language were all but extinct. He was en route via boat to the Nicaraguan village of Orinoco to begin his first literacy assignment, when a storm forced a change of direction, leading to a surprise encounter that had a lasting impact on Palacio’s music, career, and life mission. The legacy of this life-changing meeting lives on in the music of Wátina, a stunning new album featuring an all-star, multigenerational lineup of Garifuna musicians from Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras.

The Garifuna people originated when two large ships… more
credits
released February 27, 2007

Musicians
Andy Palacio | Rolando “Chiche Man” Sosa | Joshua Arana | Eduardo “Guayo” Cedeño | Ivan Duran | Paul Nabor | Lugua Centeno | Aurelio Martinez | Justo Miranda | Adrian Martinez | Denmark Flores | Sofia Blanco | Silvia Blanco | Marcela Torres | Al Ovando | Alantl Molina | Carlos Perrote | Shirley Dayana Paz | Rosa Bermudez | Sam Harris | Emmith Young | Lloyd Agustine | Jacob Edgar

Production
-Produced by Ivan Duran – Arranged by Ivan Duran & Rolando “Chiche Man” Sosa – Recorded at Sandy Beach, Hopkins Village, Belize by Ivan Duran – Additional recordings by Al Ovando & Ivan Duran at Stonetree Studios| – Mastered by Emily Lazar at The Lodge, New York, USA – Art Direction Tim O’Malley and Ivan Duran – Graphic Design and Photography by Tim O’Malley / Yuquilla (YQ) Design – Additional Photography by Katia Paradis, Ivan Duran, Greg Brosnan/Machu Picshurs, Cubola Archives – Garifuna Translations by Andy Palacio with Roy Cayetano – Introduction by Jacob Edgar with contributions from Dmitri Vietze – Videos by Katia Paradis