zunzun Azul

Danza Contemporanea de Cuba

A Word

One word doesn't say anything and at the same time it hides everything

like the wind that hides the water

Like the flowers that hide the mud.

A glance doesn't say anything and at the same time says everything

like the rain on your face or an old treasure map.

A truth doesn't say anything and at the same time it hides everything 

like a bonfire that won't go out 

like a stone that gives birth to dust.

If one day I don't have you 

I will be nothing and at the same time I will be everything

because in your eyes are my wings

and the shore where I drown,

Aurelio is a gifted 39 year old musician – singer, guitarist and percussionist - from the coastal hamlet of Plapaya on the Honduran Caribbean coast,  who has a mission to preserve the Garifuna cultural musical tradition. He is one of the few remaining artists that grew up steeped in this tradition, and he’s on a mission to conserve and preserve it for future generations through his recordings and live performances. This tradition began when a group of shipwrecked African slaves with links to West Africa (Aurelio’s ancestors) were living on the island of St. Vincent, but were deported to the Central American coast in the late 18th century and intermingled with the local mestizo Indian population, creating the Garifuna culture. He learned to play the music from his parents at a very early age and by the time he was in his teens he was a gifted artist.  Martinez’s virtuosic musicianship and passionate performances have made him a mainstay of his high-energy, Garifuna roots-infused pop genre that took Central America by storm, and since then he’s matured and created his own distinct sound. This gorgeous music should be shared with the world. I heard him for the first time live at WOMEX last month, and I was struck by his soulful music...it lingers within...resonating.