ACL Fest Friday Reviews

Andy Palacio & the Garifuna Collective

Like the Buena Vista Social Club, Andy Palacio & the Garifuna Collective's debut is a compelling collection of songs from a multigenerational outfit of all-stars. Instead of Cuban culture, however, these songs are in the key of the Garifuna. Also known as the Black Caribs, the Garifuna originate from Caribbean aboriginals (Arawak, Carib) and marooned African slaves. Theirs is a multistoried history, and currently communities exist in Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans, New York, etc. Likewise, their language and culture blend African, Amerindian, and colonial elements, making this Palacio-driven music simultaneously fresh and familiar. The dozen tunes have the same candlelight magic of BVSC but replace Ry Cooder with Ivan Duran, a producer/player from Belize who documented this art in his beachside-hut studio. And the Spirit was in the house. "Weyu Lárigi Weyu (Day by Day)" employs a dügü traditional healing ceremony rhythm, while the earthy "Yagane (My Canoe)" is carved on the main trunk of the African diaspora tree, featuring a counterpoint of percussion, tapped rum bottles, and tabletop drumming. Lest one think this is merely a studio project, Palacio & Company put on a four-star show at UT's Hogg Auditorium last April. (5:45pm, WaMu stage)