Email

Print

Tonight, with video courtesy Katia Paradis - who followed Aurelio Martinez around the world and back - we look at that process of songcraft and spirit songs across two continents and back home again:…

Jules Vasquez Reporting
Laru Beya is probably on of the most complex and compelling albums you will hear this year - anywhere in the world. But this genuine world class recording started here on the beach front with Aurelio, a guitar and skeletal lyrics in a little shack in San Juan Honduras:

A rustic setting that was converted into a studio.

Ivan Duran - Producer
"We work on this album for three years. we started in Honduras and merely a month after Andy pass away, basically we packed up our equipment and we went to a very small village on the coast of Honduras - San Juan and we basically lock ourselves in a small cabin there by the beach for three weeks and we recorded about fourteen songs."

Those songs were the seed of the album nd that's what the title Laru Beya means - "by the beach" where those initial songs were fleshed out into bigger sounds

And then Producer Duran and Martinez took this lilting Latin-flavoured then taken across the world to west Africa, Senegal where the lead singers form the legendary Orchestra Baobab lent their flavor to it

Aurelio Martinez - Artist
"Senegal is a musical country. Sometimes we go to some place with Ivan to see different kind of music. We went to the club and saw Orchestra Baobab playing. Ivan went to ask them if they want to sing something with Aurelio and they said yes the first time."

Jules Vasquez
"In Garifuna?"

Aurelio Martinez - Artist
"In Garifuna. I teach the songs in Garifuna to people who never know about Garifuna. This is the first time they heard about Garifuna."

The west African connection is a major part of the album's distinctive flavor - and it was facilitated by Aurelio Martinez's wining a Rolex Mentorship with world music icon Yossou N' Dour for the first time we invited west African musicians to play with in west Africa.

Ivan Duran - Producer
"For the first time we invited West African musicians to play with Garifuna rhythms and being there in the studio in Dakar the first thing you hear from these musicians is 'this is African' this is like totally familiar territory to them even though they did not know the instruments like the Garifuna drums - like 'what makes that sound' and they are really excited about the Garifuna drum because they don't have something that is similar to the Garifuna drum in West Africa. Having Yossou N' Dour and Orchestra Baobab in the record is incredible because these are artist that I have personally like for many years. They are responsible for some of the greatest African records of all times and yet we have them in this album. They were so gracious to collaborate with Aurelio and we recorded a total of six songs with them. It's the first time that this is dome with Garifuna music really in terms of bringing the West African influence home. In terms of music it really has to feel right and for me it felt right. For Aurelio it felt right. For these musicians in Senegal in felt right so that why those tracks ended up in the album but it was a lot of work coming back to the studio in Belize with all this tracks and saying how we are going to blend this in with the Garifuna drums - with the singing. We have singing in three languages now. there are ;pieces of French, there are pieces Wolof, Garifuna and it was hard and the intention at the end of the day for that work not to be notice - for people to just enjoy the music, but the process was very difficult."

Aurelio Martinez - Artist
"This album is not only for Garifuna people, its world music - to everybody around the world."

And that world music connection is most palpable in the song Wamada which is a call to Andy Palacio - it was recorded in one remarkable take - which was also captured on tape:

Jules Vasquez
"When you recorded that song you did one tape."

Aurelio Martinez - Artist
"Yes one tape because some spirit talk to me. I don't sing it because I feel somebody else take over me and in sync. Andy Palacio sit with me playing a guitar and so Andy Palacio knows everything about this project. He is here with me and whenever I go Andy Palacio goes with me. Now he is here."

And they expect him to be there at the Bliss also on Friday night for a sort of homecoming concert:

Aurelio Martinez - Artist
"I feel like a Belizean. I am Belizean because Andy Palacio gave me a key so I take the key because a have to do a good work with this key. I am in Belize for two nights to perform."

Ivan Duran - Producer
"I have that this concert will be a very memorable one because I've seen this band play on many stages around the world and it has chemistry and it has a sound that is like nothing else. We had several options to release this album in Belize. Aurelio insisted that he wanted the Bliss, he insisted he come back to the Bliss and have the Bliss full of people listening to these news songs."

Aurelio Martinez will play two concerts at the Bliss Center on Friday and Saturday nights. He will also have a concert for children courtesy the ministry of education tomorrow morning.

He was been touring in support of the new album - going as far as the WOMAD Festival in Abu Dhabi - making it the first time that Garifuna Music has been to the middle East.