Toledo Cacao Festival in Belize - Part 2

Toledo Cacao Festival in Belize - Part 2
By: Will Moreno
May 22nd, 2011

After an exhilarating opening night for the Toledo Cacao Festival in Punta Gorda Town, waking up to the waves crashing ashore and the birds chirping in the trees was truly a peaceful beginning. While getting ready for what we knew was going to be a long day, and reviewing all the activities of the day in the Toledo Howler. We quickly realized that the activities were spread out throughout the whole town and at different time intervals. We had to strategically plan how to be in attendance at most of the events, and we knew we could certainly not attend all the events.

We noticed the small town waking up and becoming alive with people who wanted to see more chocolate treats. The Events for the day, according to the timetable, started around 8 a.m. at the Fajina Craft Center, where we observed various Mayan Artisans displaying their lovely crafts of basket weaving, Mayan tapestry, wood carvings among other things all while wearing their traditional Mayan dresses. There were also individuals selling locally produced garifuna crafts, dolls and the famous Noni juice.

We then made our way to the Toledo Cacao Growers Association that was just one street over. They were displaying booklets and talking about the production and processing of the cacao pod into chocolate. We must make mention that it was great to know that the chocolate company that produces Green and Black's Chocolate buys their cacao from Belize. Cyrila's Chocolate was also displaying their artesian chocolates as well as their traditional Mayan chocolate drink, the 'Kukuh'. We could never associate the tastes of sweet chocolate with that of spices, but we have to admit that Cyrila's Chocolates has a spicy chocolate blend that we enjoyed very much.  Also in the vicinity there were food vendors offering tasty foods, for example, the Mayan version of a spicy chicken soup called 'caldo'. This delicious soup is made over an open fire or 'fyah haat' and made from home-grown chickens and a unique blend of Mayan herbs and spices.

Knowing earlier that we had very little time between events, we then made our way to the Texaco pier where the triathalon was about to get underway. On our way there we passed by the chocolate center where the many chococolate by-products were being displayed. Some other products that were being displayed were the copal soaps and oils as well as paintings. As we arrived to the Pier participants were stretching and getting ready for a 250m swim, before biking 6 miles and then running 2 miles to the finish line. Participants came from a wide cross section of the community including famous Belizean athletes such as Shalini Zabaneh, Jim Scott (general manager of Radisson Hotel), and youths from Belize High School in Belize City, who made the 4 hour trip just to compete in this event. The Triathalon showed the drive of the participants who pushed their endurance until the very end to get to the finish line and absolutely no one gave in to fatigue. All participants finished the race by crossing the finish line on their own determination and energy.

 
After a short lunch break, we resumed the tour of Punta Gorda Town and made our way near the airstip to Maya Bags. Maya Bags is an organization producing high quality, hand embroidered bags which are selling in major US stores such as Barney's New York among others. They also exhibit their bags and collectibles by local Mayan Artisans and have recently been featured in news articles abroad: Maya Bags. Looking at the finished products were great and even better to see how tedious the work was to create each and every bag. Some handles were intricately woven like baskets, while others were made of coconut shell rings joined together and some woven of fine threads. Each and every bag is definitely a labor of love.

 

Wanting to enjoy the rest of the day, we made our way back to front street where we came across a rythmic group of drummers and dancers performing for the crowds who stood in the streets of Punta Gorda. The group was that of Mr. Emmeth Young who has a drum school in San Pedro Columbia in Toledo. We stood by and watched the dancers swaying to the harmonious beats of the hand made drums. They entertained the crowds for quite a while with the wonderful drums and dances.

Knowing we had a long night ahead of us we went back to where we were staying and were very happy at the thought of having coconut water straight from the coconut itself. Coconut Water also called "Koknat Wata" is sweet tasting and very refreshing after a long hot day. It is said to have lots of nutrients and great for the health of your kidneys. After having the water, the cocunuts were chopped into halves and we ate the fleshy white pulp in the center which is very sweet and milky. We also tried a new fruit called the jackfruit that we had never tasted before. It smells like ripe plantains and taste like a cross between ripe plantains, papaya and pineapple. The fruit grows like a soursop with a spikey outer pod and inside it has a yellowish pulpy fruit which contains the seeds that can be boiled and enjoyed as a healthy snack.

 




The nights in Punta Gorda are very peaceful and cool however we were ready to dance and have a night of fun so we decided to go to Waluco's around 9:30 PM. From our understanding, Waluco's got packed as the night progressed. When we got there, it was very quiet so we decided to go to Reef Bar and were not disappointed with the old school music playing at the bar. After a while they let the band Chukuro and the Tribal Vibes start their Garifuna drumming. The band is led by Mr. Ray Arzu who teaches kids the art of drumming and has led them to win the coveted title for battle of the Drums 2 years in a row in 2009 and 2010. This night he has 2 juniors with him ages 9 and 10 showcasing their great talent with the segunda drum (base drum), the primero drums (lead drum)and the shakka (calabash rattles). When the rhythm is paired with cold Belikin beers, the feet start shuffling and the body starts moving with the rhythm. Getting on the floor and dancing was so much fun while moving to the beating of the drums. Mr Arzu definitely educated us about the difference in the Garifuna music. He told us that the Garifuna music was broken into six different rhythms. The first of those rhythms was the 'Paranga' which is a slow warm up followed by the 'Huguh Huguh' which is a slow rhthm that is usually used in the temples. He then told us about the 'Chumba' which is drumming music based on the dancers actions and the drummers have to match their every move. The drumming then changed to one that most Belizeans are familiar with and it was the 'Punta' which is a fast beat that is very synonymous with the Garifuna culture and the Garinagu people. Next there is the 'Wanaragua' beat which is a fast paced drumming beat usually used by the Jankunu dancers who dress like their colonial slave masters and danced around. Finally there was the 'Sambe' which is a drumming to call on the 'Sisters' for blessings. The beat continued late into the night as we shuffled to different drumming beats on the floor.

 

We knew the following day was going to be another fun day at the Cacao Festival at the Lubaantun Maya Ruin. Come back and visit our blog again and we will tell you all about day three of the Toledo Cacao Festival in Punta Gorda, Belize. You can also read about day one here: Toledo Cacao Festival in Belize - Part 1.

Garinagu/Garifuna Culture and History is celebrated every year on November 19th as Garifuna Settlement Day

The Garinagu (singular Garifuna) are an ethnic group of mixed ancestry and are descendants of Carib, Arawak and West African people. The British colonial administration used the term Black Carib and Garinagu to distinguish them from Yellow and Red Carib, the Amerindian population that did not intermarry with Africans. The Amerindians who had not intermarried with Africans are still living in the Lesser Antilles; Dominica, St. Vincent and The Grenadines, etc. The Garinagu people live primarily in Central America. They live along the Caribbean Coast in Belize, Guatemala, St. Vincent, Nicaragua and Honduras including the mainland, and on the island of Roatán. There are also diaspora communities of Garinagu in the United States, particularly in Los Angeles, Miami, New York and other major cities.

The History of the Garinagu
The Garinagu are recent arrivals to Belize, settling the southern coast of Belize in the early 19th century. The epic story of the Garinagu begins in the early 1600's on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent.
In 1635, two Spanish ships carrying Nigerian slaves floundered and sank off the coast of St. Vincent. The slaves that survived and swam ashore found shelter in the existing Carib Indian settlements. Over the next century and a half, the two peoples intermixed, intermarried and eventually fused into a single culture, the Black Caribs or Garinagu.

By 1773, the Black Carib was the dominant population of St. Vincent. European politics began to exert its influence throughout the Caribbean. A series of wars between the French and British on St. Vincent culminated in a final battle on June 10th, 1796, where the French and their Carib allies were forced to surrender and leave the island. Thus would start a journey by the exiled Caribs in search of a home.
The British deposited the Caribs on the island of Roatan, Honduras. Shortly after, the entire marooned population migrated to the mainland of Honduras and allied with the Spanish in the fortress town of Trujillo. Unfortunately, a brief civil war in 1832 found the Caribs on the wrong side and once again many, led by Alejo Beni, were forced to flee to neighboring British Honduras now known as Belize. That event is commemorated as Garifuna Settlement Day, a national holiday on November 19th.

According to tradition, the first Garifuna arrived in then, British Honduras (Belize) and then established villages along Belize's southern coast on November 19th, 1802. This day is now a national holiday in Belize, initiated by Thomas Vincent Ramos, celebrated with drums, dancing and pageantry. Today, there is one town in Toledo - Punta Gorda - that is considered a Garifuna town, and two Garifuna villages - Barranco (the oldest Garifuna settlement in Belize) and tiny Punta Negra.

The British Baymen who were already settled there were fearful of this independent and free group of Blacks and did their best to build up a distrust of them as "devil worshippers", "baby eaters" and "witch doctors" among their own slaves.

Garinagu Migration after Settlement
In recent history, Garinagu have thrown off their British appellation and encourage others to refer to them as Garifuna (Garinagu-plural). The Garifuna population is estimated to be around 600,000 both in Central America, Yurumein (St. Vincent and The Grenadines) and the United States of America. The latter, due to heavy migration from Central America, has become the second largest hub of Garifuna people outside Central America. New York has the largest population, heavily dominated by Hondurans, Guatemalans and Belizeans. Los Angeles ranks second with Belizean Garinagu being the most populous, followed by Hondurans and Guatemalans. There is no information regarding Garinagu from Nicaragua having migrated to either the East or the West Coast of the United States. Nicaraguan Garinagu are few. They are learning the Garifuna language and acquiring the different cultural aspects.

Garifuna Culture
Today, the Garinagu struggle to keep their culture alive. It is the devotion of the Garinagu to their roots which sets them apart from the other ethnic groups in Belize. While many Garinagu are professed Catholics, they have retained numerous traditions and rituals from their Afro-Caribbean heritage.

Central to the Garifuna community is the belief in and respect for the ancestors. The Garinagu retain their powerful spiritual connection with past generations of any family group through a ritual called "Dugu". A Spiritual leader called a "Buyei" or shaman presides over family members, who travel from all over the world to gather at the dugu meeting place called a "temple". No expense is spared as fresh seafood, pork, fowl and cassava bread are prepared for days of healing, dancing, drumming and communing with the spiritual world.

This spiritualism spawns a wealth of creativity among Garinagu in the form of music, dance and art. Punta Rock is a modern musical interpretation of a Garinagu cultural dance. The Punta dance accompanying the music - with its seductive movements and rhythmic beat - is Belize's most popular dance.

Another favorite dance - the "John Canoe" - is performed during the Christmas season. The dancer wears a mask which resembles an English face topped by a hand-made hat similar to the English naval hats of the 18th century. The dance displayed the skills of warrior-slaves while mocking their British overseers.

The traditional Garifuna colors are yellow, black, and white. Women often wear long dresses sewn from checkered material along with colored head pieces. Bright colors, distorted perspective and historical themes dominate the work of the many talented Garinagu painters. Hand made drums of cedar and mahogany, stretched with deer skin, continually pound the African beat in most Garifuna villages. Garifuna crafts include traditional cloth dolls, coconut leaf baskets and maracas made of calabash gourds.

Garifuna Foods
Traditional Garifuna foods are based on coconut milk, garlic, basil, and black pepper. Banana and plantain are grated, mashed, boiled or baked. Fish boiled in coconut milk, called serre, served with mashed plantain it’s called hudut and is a deliciously rich meal.

Cassava, is a woody shrub or herb which, like potatoes, has tuberous roots. But unlike potatoes, the juice which lies between the fibers of the manioc root is poisonous. The secret of extracting the root, involves a two-day process. First, the root is dug out before daybreak. The skin is peeled off, and the root is grated into a mash on stone studded boards.

This mash is placed into a wala, a long, narrow, loosely woven tube made of palm fronds. When stretched, the wala compresses the mash, squeezing out the poisonous fluid. The resulting dehydrated cassava mash is then sun dried and made into flour, which can be sifted and baked into flat round loaves called cassava bread. The course "trash" left from the sifting is baked black and simmered with ginger, sugar, and sweet potatoes into a favorite drink called Hiu.

Famous Garifuna People
Belize's most recognized Garifuna music artist, Andy Vivian Palacio (December 2, 1960 – January 19, 2008) was a Belizean Punta musician and government official. He was also a leading activist for the Garínagu and their culture.

Andy Palacio was born and raised in the coastal village of Barranco and worked briefly as a teacher before turning to music. He sang mainly in Garifuna, an Arawakan language with a large number of words borrowed from Carib, French, and Spanish, but also composed English-only songs. He was the first musical artist from Belize to have a music video on international television. He received the award for "Best New Artist" at the Caribbean Music Awards in 1991, and was post-humously awarded the BBC3 Awards for World Music award in the Americas Category, in 2008.