Email

Print

Andy Palacio topped music charts, won world music awards, and transcended cultural and geographical boundaries to achieve worldwide acclaim. That’s more than any other Belizean musician, and maybe any other Belizean has done period. He died suddenly in January but his family and friends don’t want him forgotten, more importantly they want to pick up where he left off. That’s why this afternoon they launched the Andy Palacio Foundation. It was at the Bliss Center, which is where many said goodbye to him 7 months ago. We were there today and it is like Andy never left.

Keith Swift Reporting,
There was a celebration inside the bliss lobby this afternoon as drummers pounded away and a full house of Andy Palacio’s family and friends danced to the mali, a temple chant. They were celebrating Palacio’s life and music. The showpiece of the celebration was this display – unveiled by Palacio’s children and Minister of Culture Marcel Cardona.

Ivan Duran, Stone Tree Records
“It is a box built by Gilvano Swasey at the Image Factory that includes Andy’s suit which he used on many of his tours and it is a suit that was purposely made for the Watina cover. It is the same suit that is on the photo and he had four of these and he used them all during his tour. And it has several of the badges that he collected from festivals where he performed. This is the Garifuna drum that was used on the last tour that Andy did in Europe and when the band came back to Belize everybody signed the drum and Andy’s children signed the drums and the purpose was to make this an integral part of an exhibition on Andy and this is also the guitar that Andy used in some of recordings.”

Roy Cayetano, President – Andy Palacio Foundation
“He touched the people in this nation in a way that no other person has.”

But today was more about the future than about the past. This afternoon his oldest daughter Kami and Roy Cayetano signed the articles of association – forming the Andy Palacio Foundation.

Ivan Duran,
“The launching of the Andy Palacio Foundation in a way solidifies what we have thought for many months since Andy’s passing. There has to be a vehicle to continue Andy’s work, to continue Andy’s mission in the future and as you know Andy left a very big hole in many of us; the Garifuna Collective, myself, fellow artists, and musicians all around the country and many wondered what will happen now and I think it is important that the work of the foundation focuses on the new generation of Belizean artists.”

Roy Cayetano,
“It is to preserve the legacy and carry on the work of Andy Palacio.”

Keith Swift,
How will it attempt to do that?

Roy Cayetano,
“We will do it through education, through support for activities like the establishment of an Andy Palacio Foundation through support for musical activities, education is going to be a very important aspect of it.”

Lloyd, Punta Rock Artist
“Andy let the world know about Belize so it is very important to continue his work and he is a man who already won awards out there because of the music and he passed away opening the door very wide for us. So the only thing we have to do now is walk through that door and continue his work.”

Kami Palacio, Andy’s daughter
“We want our father’s legacy to live on through this foundation.”

Keith Swift,
What do you hope the Foundation will do?

Kami Palacio,
“To make him a national hero and also to have a music fund and an education fund for the children.”

Roy Cayetano,
“It is important because it is not enough to dream. It is not enough to reflect, it is not enough to think. Dreams and reflections must be accompanied by action. If there is no action then our thoughts and reactions would be stillborn so there is a need for entity that commits itself to translating into action those dreams, those concerns.”

And the music which played on today at the launch.

Click for more about the Andy Palacio Foundation. We should note that Lloyd and the Garifuna Collective are still touring Europe. They arrived just in time from Germany for today’s launch.