Garifuna Music: A Caribbean Coast Tradition
Garifuna music is a vibrant music and dance tradition found on the Caribbean coast of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The primary traditional instruments are drums and maracas, but variations can include a variety of shells (turtle and conch) and some string instruments as well. The main drum is the Segunda (bass drum), usually made by hollowing out logs and stretching antelope skin over the ends.
The themes of the songs vary. Some are associated with work, some with play, some with dance, and some that are intended for prayer. In 2001, Garifuna music, dance, and language were proclaimed as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
Visited in Chapter 24 of The Travelers Within: Into The Unknown
An Excerpt from the Book
“As the trio walked out of the house and into the village, the sky and the town around them had grown dark and still. In the faint glow of the rising moon, Simon could see Jack walking beside him, grinning.
When they finally arrived at the patchwork wooden door at the restaurant’s entrance, the thumping hum of lively music resonated from within. Alice stepped through the door first…. and then Jack.
Simon took a long, deep breath… in we go…and then pushed on the creaking door, ducking inside.”
From The Author
“I believe I was in the town of Hopkins, Belize the first time I experienced Garifuna music. I had been walking down the road when I heard this incredible drumming and rhythm coming from beyond a cracked wooden doorway. When I entered the small bar, the place was alive with locals dancing to the entrancing rhythms. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming that night as I joined in their celebration. A truly remarkable people and culture.”
Several Books, One Global Adventure
The Travelers Within is a travel adventure fiction series following a motley cast of characters on a wild and profound journey through the bizarre locales, unfamiliar cultures, and perilous dangers of the world.
When office worker, Simon, is unexpectedly thrust into the wilds of Central America, he soon learns to trust his instincts, harness his unknown personal strengths and open himself up to the unlikeliest of friendships along the way. Inspired by extraordinary, real locations and remarkable stories from the road, The Travelers Within is a journey beyond all limits.
BOOK ONE: INTO THE UNKNOWN
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The Travelers Within: Into The Unknown
Simon had always followed a typical routine in life. Work, TV, Sleep, Repeat. But when a wild series of events lands him deep in Central America, Simon’s world takes a dramatic turn to the extraordinary. With no previous experience in third world travel, and driven only by a newly ignited lust for life and the need to survive, Simon sets forth on an epic journey through the dangerous mountains of Guatemala, the smuggler’s jungles of Nicaragua, the islands of Honduras and more.
Meeting a wonderful and eclectic cast of characters along the way, Simon eventually links up with Jonah, a young survival expert with a plan as bizarre and terrifying as anything Simon could have ever imagined. Inspired by real places and stories from the road, The Travelers Within is told with intrigue, suspense, humor and insight, capturing a visceral spirit of adventure and bringing out the wanderlust hidden deep within all of us.
“Into The Unknown is an enthralling combination of thriller and travelogue. It’s packed full of incident and exotic scenery, and, as you’re reading, it feels like you’re right there—in every stunning new location, on every new adventure.”
-Sue Paulson, U.K. Readers Digest
