Aurelio & Garifuna soul band in Jyväskylän Kesä (Jyväskylä Summer Festival)

Thank's to Jyväskylä Summer Festival we are yearly pampered with some unique world music experiences. This time we were mesmerized by the Unesco's world heritage protection music from Honduras. Garifuna music's shining star Aurelio Martinez with his Garifuna Soul Band took us for a trip into the world of wonderful and beautiful mixture of rhythms from  Caribbean, Africa and Latin America. Garifuna people are originally West African slaves brought into St. Vincent in the Caribbean where they mixed with the local Callinagos who already were a mixture of Arawak and Carib groups. Garifuna people fought British colonizers and were therefore deported in masse and were left to die on the caribbean coast of Central America. The Garifunas survived and so was created this unique music which seems to have incorporated all the best from all the musical cultures from their ancestors.

Aurelio & Garifuna Soul Band:

Aurelio Martinez (Singing and guitar), Onan Castillo Fernandez (Garifuna-drum), Angel Aparicio Bernardez Martinez  (Garifuna-drum, singing), Rolando Sosa Martinez (Garifuna-percussions, singing), Carlos Castillo Solorzano (bass, singing), Ramon Eduardo Cedeño (guitar, singing).

This gig was the only one in Finland and the first of their European tour.  Thank you Jyväskylän Kesä for being so up to date in what is going on in the world music scene. Very soon we can not afford these guys anymore.. :))

African drums, Latin American guitar, Salsa percussions, Reggae and Merenque rhythms ...woohoo! Like having all the best ice creams on the same plate. A journey of guaranteed enjoyment!! I was so mesmerized that I couldn't even dance...Fleure instead danced even for my part!! :)

Aurelio is a son of a paranda music expert and troubadour father and a song writing mother with a gorgeous voice. He learned sacred drumming from his relatives and performed in adults-only religious ceremonies from age of 6. Aurelios music is solidly rooted in the traditions he grew up with but he is also a modern artist breaking new grounds.

Carlos Castillo Solorzano on bass. He also showed us some of his great dancing skills. New style from Senegal maybe? :))

Ramon Eduardo Cedeño's latin guitar playing was beautiful.

Rolando Sosa Martinez with Garifuna-percussions was a super sympathetic dancing and singing embodiment of rhythm. 

Onan Castillo Fernandez played his Garifuna-drum like Djembe adding to the music it's  wonderful West African flavour.

Angel Aparicio Bernardez Martinez  at the bass Garifuna-drum that added more African flavour to the soup.

Aurelio himself is a master in making songs, singing, playing and dancing. His music is beautiful and great fun even the songs often have a serious topic.  He is singing about his brother who passed away from a mysterious illness, about orphans whose parents died of Aids, about a man who is waiting for the arrival of a son he suspects migth not be his, about politicians that are like bloodthirsty sharks...

It was freezing cold by this time but Aurelios cd and photos with the musicians warmed  me up a bit.  I couldn't wait to get to listen to my new cd!!!

Mr Sympathetic with Fleure. No wonder she is smiling so much!! :))

I got a hug and an autograph onto my new cd which I just loooooooooove so much!!

Laru Beya ( By the beach) is a true mixture of different cultural heritages. On the top of being Garifuna-music, already bearing the strong West African influence, on this cd Aurelio has a special visitor and mentor from Senegal. Youssou N'Dour took Aurelio as his protégé in 2009 and he is also contributing singing in wolof on two songs on the cd. Dakar based Senegalese rappers Sen Kumpe feature also in the cd adding french into the soup of languages. The cd was recorded in Honduras, Belize and Senegal. If someone now asks me worried what good can come out of different cultures mixing, I know what to answer...and I also know the new culture doesn't mean the old ones will desappear!!

Fleure & Aurelio...no cd no smile? Don't worry Fleure, you can listen mine! Thank you Aurelio, thank you Garifuna soul band. We wish you a wonderful tour in Europe and wellcome back to Finland!!                            With love, Rose & Fleure  :))