With the music world still reeling from the recent death of Belizean Garifuna music star Andy Palacio, the head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization last week expressed his condolences.
“Andy Palacio chose to sing in Garifuna, a language at the crossroads of several linguistic legacies which was proclaimed Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001,” said UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura. “He thus worked for intangible heritage, which is particularly dear to us.”
“His premature death is an immense loss for Belizean culture and for all those who are open to the diversity of the world’s music,” Matsuura said of Palacio, who was named a UNESCO Artist for Peace in 2007. The Putna Rock music star also served as a cultural ambassador and deputy administrator of the National Institute of Culture and History of Belize.
The shock of the news of Palacio’s death January 19 was greatly amplified by the banner year he had last year.
Using the events of 2007 as a springboard for the future, Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective were headed for big things this year.
A number of international publications, radio charts and music critics consistently ranked the Belizean group’s album “Wtina” among the best world music productions in 2007.
America’s Global Rhythm magazine, Songlines magazine in the United Kingdom and the BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards were some of music industry entities that had high praise for Andy Palacio and Wtina in 2007. One of last year’s highest honors came when Palacio and Ivan Duran, founder of Belize’s leading Stonetree record company, were picked as winners of world music’s prestigious WOMEX Award.
Palacio’s reach had gone beyond the music with his UNESCO Artist for Peace honor. Moreover, back home in Belize, his successes have triggered a resurgence in Garifuna music among the young in his homeland.
For information about Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective, visit the Cumbancha record label Web site at www.cumbancha.com, as well as Stonetree Records’ site at www.stonetreerecords.com.
Scholarship exams
Brooklyn’s Nazareth Regional High School will hold scholarship entrance exams on February 9 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. The test is open to eighth-grade students who did not take the Test for Admission into Catholic High Schools (T.A.C.H.S.) exam.
The school also will host an open house February 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the school, 475 East 57th Street.
To register for the scholarship exam or get information on the open house, call 718-763-1100, Ext. 223 - or visit www.nazarethrhs.org online for an exam application and instructions.
New honor for Bob Marley
Part two of Brooklyn’s Bob Marley Boulevard is coming. An unveiling will proclaim a second portion of bustling Church Avenue co-named for the late, great reggae music star. The ceremony will take place on Marley’s birthday, February 6.
The renaming, sparked by City Councilmember Charles Barron of Brooklyn, was approved by the City Council in 2006. In July of that year, the first portion of Church Avenue was renamed.
“Bob Marley has been a visionary to many throughout the world and the co-naming of Church Avenue in the Flatbush and East Flatbush neighborhoods - the cultural hub of Caribbean Brooklyn - is the most appropriate place for his recognition,” said Leithland Rickie Tulloch, former chairman of the Land Use Committee of local Community Board 17 and vice president of West Indian American Progressive Action Council.
“This would add tremendously to energize and revitalize the commercial sector and attract tourism to the community,” said Tulloch, who will host the February 6 event.
He and Michael Russell, former chair of Community Board 17 and president of the West Indian American Progressive Action Council, are the co-authors of the co-naming of Church Avenue as Bob Marley Boulevard.
Among the other VIPS expected at the event are Representative Yvette Clarke of Brooklyn and Councilmember Mathieu Eugene of Brooklyn.
For information, call Michael Russell at 917-803-2062 or Esther Haynes-Tross at 917-257-9340.
‘Africa Unite’ boro debut
Brooklyn debut of the film “Africa Unite” - part of the international Bob Marley’s Earth day Celebration - will be held on Friday at Sputnik, 262 Taffe Place (between Willoughby and DeKalb Avenues), at 9 p.m. There also will be a post-screening affair. Call One Drop Sessions - at 917-468-3420 - or visit www.myspace.com/onedropsessions.
Jamaica wins travel awards
This year looks great for Jamaica - its tourist board, airline and several resorts made out very well at last year’s World Travel Awards, held this month in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The island nation brought home a number of top honors at the event, held at Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort and Spa, including Leading Caribbean Destination honors, World’s Leading Cruise Destination and Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Destination. The Jamaica Tourist Board was named the Caribbean’s Leading Tourist and Convention Bureau.
Jamaica - which won all these awards for the second consecutive year – was also recognized for its vacation resorts. Among the awardees were Round Hill Hotel and Villas (World’s Leading Villa), Jamaica Conference Center in Kingston (Caribbean’s Leading Conference Center), Half Moon (Caribbean’s Leading Conference Hotel), Half Moon Adventures (Caribbean’s Leading Golf Resort), and Royal Plantation Ocho Rios (Caribbean’s Leading Resort).
Air Jamaica won for Caribbean’s Leading Airline, the Caribbean’s Leading Airline Web Site and the “Caribbean’s Leading Business Class Airline.”
This column is reprinted from the January 27 Sunday editions of The New York Daily News. If you have any items suitable for this column please e-mail them to jmccallister@nydailynews.com.
