Elizabeth Mini
"From Point to Point"
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| (Photos by Patrick Fraser) |
On my journey to find my box of treasures, I remember the Afro-Caribbean Garifuna People who reside along the Caribbean coastal areas of Honduras. Their drums, made from hollowed tree trunks and covered with animal skin, are the source of entertainment and are at the heart of the culture. The beats of the tenor (primero) and bass (Segundo) drums carry the joys and pain of the community as the Garifuna carry the spirit of the dance in their bodies. Their popular hypnotic drumbeat music known as “Punta” is believed to be as essential to the Garifuna as food, for the music is nutrition for their souls.
Punta, an evolved form of traditional music played using traditional instruments, is the most popular and well-known genre of Garifuna music and dance. Punta lyrics are typically written by Garifuna women and often relate to one gender or the other. Energetic Punta dancing has been described as “consciously competitive.”