Cultural icon Pen Cayetano is known for his music and paintings but he is not the only one in the family recognized in the art world. His wife Ingrid Cayetano and their daughter Mali Cayetano today launched 2 children's books at the Image Factory: the second edition of "We Are Free" And "Wanaragua" .The wife Ingrid wrote the book and Mali did the illustrations. Pen Cayetano was there of course to enliven the book launch. When we dropped by the Cayetano's told us these books are about accepting your identity.
Courtney Weatherburne reporting
Freedom: that's what the Cayetano family wants you to embrace. The freedom to be who you truly are without shame or fear.
And that's the concept behind these children's books: "We Are Free" and "Wanaragua". They were both launched today at the Image Factory. These books tell the story of what it means to be a Garinagu, how vibrant and sacred the culture is, and how important it is to preserve it.
Ingrid Cayetano, Writer
"So the "We are free" is just telling you the origin of the Garifuna people. I am Germany, but my husband is the master Pen Cayetano from Dangriga, now the Garifuna icon and so on. So we grew up with this culture and even though we lived in Germany for 20 years we focused on Garifuna culture. So the first book "We are free" is telling you the journey from Africa coming to the Caribbean and later on to Belize. The second book "Wanaragua" explains itself. It's about the famous John Canoe dance the Garifuna people do around the Christmas time."
Mali Cayetano, Illustrator
"I think the inspiration was Belize itself. I grew up in Germany, but every time when I come here for holidays, I was like oh my God the colors. Like the same colors I see Belize in this book, because Germany is not so colorful - not so powerful in the colors. So I think Belize itself inspires me. Belize was always in me and around me and when I came here, it just felt like home. So I love being here. I love to share the culture as well. Because I notice that in Belize there is no children book about culture. So I love to start this project and share it with everybody."
Participant
"Brothers and sisters, are idling close to the huge jungle far away from their home town Dangriga."
So with those opening lines, Cayetano wants to leave an imprint on every reader - one of pride and self-love.
Mali Cayetano, Illustrator
"Don't be ashamed of your culture. Keep it up, live it and love it and share it. It's very important. It's your identity and it's your roots of course."
The books are available at the Image Factory, Pen Cayetano Studio Gallery and other Gift Stores. Mali Cayetano also organized a workshop for the kids in Germany for them to learn more about the Garifuna Culture.
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