Aurelio – Darandi (Real World Records)
CD / DL
20 January 2017
7 / 10
Guitar based Garifunan music interpreter releases
career spanning collection.
The people of Garifuna have a troubled past and
an uncertain future. Built on a mix of
African slave ship survivors and Caribbean inhabitants the Arawak in the 17th
century, they were displaced to Honduras by British forces claiming residency
over their island. Their culture,
language and music still binds the Garifuna together despite being spread in 50
locations down the Caribbean coast.
Through tourism and lack of education, the culture
is slowly being eroded. Like a lot of history, it is being forgotten and not
taught to younger generations the result being a loss of identity and roots for
forthcoming peers.
This, is where Aurelio Martinez has stepped
in. Over thirty years he has aimed to
spread the sound of his native music aiming to improve the recognition of his
lineage. Darandi brings together the
favourites from his career over three studio albums hoping to make a difference
to the Garifuna people.
The style of music captures Colombian cumbia, Afropop
and American blues in an energetic mix of upbeat dance rhythms with a talented
team of musicians and an even more talented frontman, and was recorded
completely live at Peter Gabriel’s studios featuring Aurelio’s biggest hits.
Album opener Dondo sets the scene for what
becomes a highly infectious album of darting rhythms and frenetic guitar playing
with a distinctive sound. Second track
Yalifu also captures a wonderful sound of the Caribbean whilst still reciting
the message of the Garifuna culture that he is clearly intent on spreading and
fighting for.
Sielpa sees simple vocals and guitar slowly build
into a terrific collective sound with the occasional Country sounding riff whilst
album closer Naguya Nei, whilst following a similar approach, is more delicate
sounding and rises into a quite wonderful piece of guitar playing with vocals
to match.
Maybe the vocals are lost on English speakers but
the overall feel and sensory experience of Darandi is a refreshing one. Grand musicianship with voices to accompany,
it is an album with a very distinctive feel and refreshing sound.
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