Andy Palacio, is not only Belize's most popular musician and performing artist, but a serious music and cultural archivist with a deep commitment to preserving the values of his Garífuna culture.

Born and raised in the coastal village of Barranco, Andy grew up listening to traditional Garífuna music as well as imported sounds coming over the radio from neighboring Honduras, Guatemala and the United States. Along with several of his peers he formed acapella singing groups and bands and began developing his own voice. However, it was while working with a Garífuna literacy project in Nicaragua in 1980 and realizing that the Garífuna language and culture was steadily dying in that country, that a strong cultural awareness took hold and his approach to music became more defined.

"I saw what happened to my people. The cultural erosion I saw deeply affected my outlook," he said recently, "and I definitely reacted to that reality." His reaction took the form of diving deeper into the traditional chants and rhythms of the Garífuna. "It was a conscious strategy. I feel that music was the best way to preserve the culture. It's a way of maintaining cultural pride and self esteem -especially in young people." And so began a unique fusion of Garífuna and contemporary music.

Upon returning to Belize, Andy encountered " a renaissance of young Garífuna intellectuals," who were writing poetry and songs in their native language. He saw the emergence of what was dubbed Punta Rock and enthusiastically took part in developing the form. He began writing his own songs and gained stature as a musician and energetic Garífuna artist. During 1987 he was able to hone his skills after being invited to work in London with Cultural Partnerships Limited, a community arts organization. Returning home to Belize with new skills and a four track recording system, he helped found "Sunrise", an organization dedicated to preserving, documenting and distributing Belizean music. While his academic training and self-scholarship allowed for his on-going documentation of Garífuna culture through lyrics and music, it has been his exuberance as a performer that gained worldwide recognition.

Since 1988, Andy has gained enormous popularity both in Belize and abroad, having played before audiences in the Caribbean, the Americas and Europe. He has hosted his own highly rated local television show and was the first Belizean musician whose video was aired over international television stations. Andy has been twice recognized by the Caribbean Music Awards, as 1991's "Best New Artist" and as a presenter in 1992, both events taking place at New York City's famed Apollo Theatre. He lives in Belize where he continues his work in promoting Garífuna arts, music and culture.

Selected Discography :
Keimoun (beat on), Stonetree Records (1995)
Til Da Mawnin, Stonetree Records (1998)
Paranda : Africa in Central America, Stonetree Records / Erato/ Warner (2000)
Punta Rocking, House of Punta/Stonetree Records (2002)
Andy Palacio Fueturing The Garifuna All Stars, Stonetree Records (2003)

Contact info:
Ivan Duran
E mail : ivan@stonetreerecords.com
35 Elizabeth Street, Benque Veijo del Carmen
Belize, Central America
Tel: 501-8232241
Fax: 501-8232240