Central & Eastern Guatemala - Guatemala - page 446

CATCH THE RHYTHM OF THE GARÍFUNA
Lívingston is the heartland of Guatemala's Garífuna community, and it won't take too long before you hear some
of their distinctive music. A Garífuna band generally consists of three drums (the primera takes the bass part, the
other two play more melodic functions), a shaker or maraca, a turtle shell (hit like a cowbell) and a conch shell
(blown like a flute).
The lyrics are often call and response - most often sung in Garífuna (a language with influences from Arawak,
French and West African languages) but sometimes composed in Spanish. Most songs deal with themes from vil-
lage life - planting time, harvests, things that happen in the village, honoring the dead and folktales of bad sons
made good. Sometimes they simply sing about the beauty of the village.
Traditional Garífuna music has given birth to an almost bewildering array of musical styles, among them Punta
Rock, Jugujugu, Calachumba, Jajankanu, Chumba, Saranda, Sambé and Parranda.
Punta Rock is by far the most widely known adaptation of traditional Garífuna rhythms, and you can hear
'Punta' in most discos throughout Central America. The dance that accompanies it (also called punta ) is a fren-
zied sort of affair, following the nature of the percussion. The left foot swivels back and forth while the right foot
taps out the rhythm. Perhaps coincidentally, this movement causes the hips to shake wildly, leading some observ-
ers to comment on the sexual nature of the dance.
If you're interested in learning more about Garífuna culture or want drumming lessons, drop in to Rasta Mesa
( Click here ) .
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Punta de Manabique
The Punta de Manabique promontory, which separates the Bahía de Manabique from the
open sea, along with the coast and hinterland all the way southeast to the Honduran fronti-
er, comprises a large, ecologically fascinating, sparsely populated wetland area. Access to
the area, which is under environmental protection as the Área de Protección Especial Punta de
Manabique , is not cheap, but the attractions for those who make it there include pristine
Caribbean beaches, boat trips through the mangrove forests, lagoons and waterways, bird-
watching, fishing with locals, and crocodile and possible manatee sightings. To visit, get
in touch - a week in advance, if possible - with the community tourism project ( 5303-9822;
www.turismocomunitario guatemala.com/estero_lagarto_turismo.html) at Estero Lagarto, on the south side
of the promontory. You can stay in their ecolodge (room per person Q50, mains around
Q60), take mangrove and laguna tours in wooden canoes to nearby Santa Isabel, on the
Canal de los Ingleses - a waterway connecting the Bahía de Manabique with the open sea.
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