Gourt > Regional > Central America > Society and Culture > Garifuna
The Garifuna or Garífuna are an ethnic group in the Caribbean area, descended from a mix of Amerindian and African people. They are also sometimes known as Garifune or Black Caribs. There are estimated to be about 200,000 of them in Central America and the United States. Properly, the term "Garifuna" refers to the individual and the language, while Garinagu is the (plural or collective) term for the people.
The most common version (¹) of how 'Black Caribs' came to be states that in 1635, two Spanish ships carrying slaves to the West Indies from what is now Nigeria were shipwrecked near the island of Saint Vincent. The slaves escaped the sinking boat and reached the shores of the island, where they were welcomed by the Caribs, who offered their protection. Their intermarriage formed the Garinagu people, known as the Garifuna today. The name was derived from "Kalipuna", one of the Island Carib names for themselves. In addition to shipwrecked Africans or early explorer Africans, the Caribs also captured slaves when they raided the British and French on neighbouring islands, and many of them were eventually adopted into the tribe.
(¹) A myth version of 'Black Carib' origin is that pre-Columbus African explorers intermingled with the indigenous population (refer to "They Came Before Columbus" by Ivan Van Sertima).
When the British invaded Saint Vincent, they were opposed by French settlers and their Carib allies. When the Caribs eventually surrendered to the British in 1796, the "Black Caribs" were considered enemies and were deported to Roatán, an island off what is today Honduras. The British separated the more African-looking Caribs from the more Amerindian looking ones, and decided that the former were enemies who must be deported, while the latter were merely "misled" and were allowed to remain. More than 4,000 Black Caribs were deported, but only about 2,000 of them survived the trip to Roatán. Because the island was too small and infertile to support their population, the Garifuna petitioned the Spanish authorities to be allowed to settle on the mainland. The Spanish employed them as soldiers, and they spread along the Caribbean coast of Central America.
More on [ Garifuna ]
Caribbean :: Regional and Ethnic
Dangriga :: Localities
Livingston :: Localities
Puerto Barrios :: Localities
Roatan :: Islands
The Bronx :: New York City
African :: Ethnicity
Caribs :: Caribbean
@NellyFurtado goin good nelly!I represent GARIFUNA DYNASTY SOUND....i am a selector,come check me out live@wabatou in brooklyn!
mrmentiongd (MrMention) Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:55:53 -0000
@NellyFurtado goin good nelly!I represent GARIFUNA DYNASTY SOUND....i am a selector,come check me out live@wabatou in brooklyn!
@ djbuttal thanks for the add my garifuna redy to rock 2010 wit GARIFUNA DYNASTY SOUND ALL NITE LIVE@WABATOU IN BROOKLYN every weekend!
mrmentiongd (MrMention) Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:49:59 -0000
@ djbuttal thanks for the add my garifuna redy to rock 2010 wit GARIFUNA DYNASTY SOUND ALL NITE LIVE@WABATOU IN BROOKLYN every weekend!
Garifuna Dynasty Sound each n every Sat & Sun> Wabatou Belize Cultural Center all LADIES FREEEE (531 Sutter ave Bklyn NY 11207)
Garifunadynasty (Paulo Garifuna) Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:32:54 -0000
Garifuna Dynasty Sound each n every Sat & Sun> Wabatou Belize Cultural Center all LADIES FREEEE (531 Sutter ave Bklyn NY 11207)
@garifuna.. what country u from Garinagu, cafiulubu namule ??
Garifunadynasty (Paulo Garifuna) Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:27:35 -0000
@garifuna.. what country u from Garinagu, cafiulubu namule ??
@LuxuriousV i LIKE THE ENERGY.....COME OUT TO WABATOU IN BROOKLYN SAT. & SUN. ROCK OUT garifuna dynasty all nite!!!...tell all your friends
mrmentiongd (MrMention) Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:18:41 -0000
@LuxuriousV i LIKE THE ENERGY.....COME OUT TO WABATOU IN BROOKLYN SAT. & SUN. ROCK OUT garifuna dynasty all nite!!!...tell all your friends
@zjmartian888 GARIFUNA DYNASTY SOUND....we DJ reggae,hip hop & rb,club,punta rock music from the garifuna culture,and more!
mrmentiongd (MrMention) Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:48:42 -0000
@zjmartian888 GARIFUNA DYNASTY SOUND....we DJ reggae,hip hop & rb,club,punta rock music from the garifuna culture,and more!
Belize - The Exile's Song - The World's report on Garifuna music, with a personal account by the reporter, photos, audio samples of several styles, and background information on the culture.
Meta Description: [ FRONTLINE/World - The Exile's Song - Reclaiming African roots - Stories from a small planet ]
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Black Guatemalans' Organisation (ONEGUA) - Based in Livingston and Puerto Barrios, the group works to maintain Garifuna and Afro-Guatemalan culture and practices, while carrying out economic and education development projects.
Definitions of Style - Punta - The Center for Black Music Research offers a detailed description of the origins, beat and themes of the music style and its derivative, punta rock.
Meta Description: [ CBMR is an internationally recognized center devoted to research into the music of the global African Diaspora. Library/archive, research fellowships, publications, performances, on-line resources, and more. ]
El Espíritu de mi Mamá (The Spirit of my Mother) - Film about a young Garifuna woman raised in Los Angeles, who travels to the Caribbean after her mother's death. Includes annotated list of links about the culture, with Spanish-language notes on the music and movie reviewers' comments.
Meta Description: [ El Espiritu de mi Mama ]
Felene M. Cayetano - A personal page with poems, biography, and accounts of Garicentric activism by a woman born in Belize, raised in Los Angeles, and now residing in New York.
Garifuna - A brief history of the people since the 11th century, with observations on modern culture and a bibliography.
Garifuna Agricultural Education Project - Brief description of a 2004-2007 agricultural development effort in Honduras, funded by CAUSE Canada.
Garifuna Migration Teacher's Guide - Lesson plans for studying the Garifuna migration, as well as exploring the roots of students' own families.
Garifuna New Generation - New York-based Punta rock band whose members are of Guatemalan-Garifuna heritage. They provide music samples and a schedule of upcoming gigs. [English/Spanish]
Garifuna: Vibrant, Soulful, African - Personal account of a visit to Livingston, Belize, and of a New York City food and music gathering. Includes descriptions of seafood and coconut dishes, with recipes.
Meta Description: [ Global Rhythm magazine, Global Rhythm, World Music magazine, World Music ]
Garinet - A portal with an array of links for contemporary Garifuna news, issues, culture, and organizations.
Meta Description: [ A Garifuna Web portal with an array of links for contemporary Garifuna news, issues, culture, and organizations: Garifuna History, Garifuna News, Garifuna Events, Garifuna Music, Garifuna products and Much more ]
GeoNative - Garifuna - Brief history of the language's speakers and their current location, with examples of place names in Spanish and Garifuna.
Greg Palacio - Modern Los Angeles-based painter's biography and catalog of his works.
La Buga - Information on the history and culture of Livingston, Guatemala, with local photos, profiles of prominent people, and music and video clips. Some content in English and some in Spanish.
Meta Description: [ Your Site Description here ]
Language Planning in a Transnational Speech Community - Paper describing the current situation of the Garifuna language by country, with a discussion of the challenges and actions in maintaining the language across dispersed countries with varied dominant languages.
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Lebeha Drumming Center - Hopkins Village, Belize. Teaches local children traditional music, and offers concerts each night.
National Garifuna Council of Belize - Non-governmental organization which works to preserve culture and to carry out projects with the national government. They describe Garifuna history by city, explain traditions, and list events.
Meta Description: [ Belize National Garifuna Council mission is to preserve, strengthen, develop our culture, and promote economic development of the Garifuna people. ]
Paranda - The producer's site for this audio collection of traditional musicians includes audio clips, photos, and biographies of the artists.
Meta Description: [ Stonetree Records is the leading record label in Belize. Since 1995 we've been producing the best music from Belize and the region. To hear the unique sounds of Belizean culture, please visit our website and online shop! ]
Pen Cayetano - Official site of the Germany-based Belize-born artist and musician, with reviews, listing of exhibits and records, and a gallery of paintings.
Pen Cayetano and the Original Turtle Shell Band - RootsWorld article provides background on punta rock's development, with reviews of several of the band's albums.
Meta Description: [ / RootsWorld record review ]
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Pen Cayetano: The Beginning of Punta Rock - The text of the the musician's account of his creation of the music style in 1978 in Dangriga, Belize, with photos and paintings.
Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity - Text of the UNESCO award to Garifuna language, dance and music.
Reconstructing Garifuna Oral History - An academic paper describing methodologies and results in oral history and anthropological work to construct early history in Roatan.
Seine Bight - The Belizean town's website describes their community's history and culture.
The Garifuna - Weaving a Future from a Tangled Past - Excerpts from a National Geographic article, with personal notes from the writer and photographer, music samples, and map.
The Garifuna Journey - A movie shot in Belize explores Garifuna history and culture. They provide information about the filmmakers and list the film's awards.
Meta Description: [ Celebrating the resiliency of the Garifuna people and their traditions ]
The Garifuna of Belize, Central America - The Journal of Caribbean Amerindian History and Anthropology's annotated collection of links.
The Garinagu in New York - This article describes the 50,000-member Garifuna community in New York City, including discussions of their dislocation as black Central Americans in the areas of health and music.
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The Waning Economic Power of the Garinagu - Text of a conference presentation noting the roles of earlier Garifuna in Belize as business and property owners, in comparison to modern aspirations as wage earners.
Yubu - The Garifuna Experience - A cultural center in Punta Gorda, Honduras, which offers experiences of traditional crafts, food, and music.
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