The Garifuna Women's Project

Umalali: The Garifuna Women's Project is musical collection of stories, organized and produced by Ivan Duran. The album is built upon the voices of local women in Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala. The Garifuna people are residents of these countries' Caribbean coasts.

Background

In the 1700s, during Spanish Colonial rule, West African slaves were shipwrecked on the Caribbean Island of St. Vincent. They intermarried with the native Arawak Indians, and lived peacefully until they were exiled by the English.^{[Notes 1]}

Process

In 1997, Ivan Duran set out to capture the stories of the Garifuna women. He began by connecting with many of the women in the various villages that he visited. After deciding the types of voices that he wanted to have on the album, Duran began setting up small recording studios in shacks by the water.^{[Notes 2]} The majority of the women on the album are not professional musicians, so part of Duran's task was to persuade them away from their daily tasks to record.

Purpose

The Garifuna Women's Project is the natives' collection of stories, stories of "hurricanes that swept away homes and livelihoods, a son murdered in a far-off village, the pain of childbirth and other struggles and triumphs of daily life. Then there are the personal stories of the women who participated in this magical recording project: mothers and daughters who, while working tirelessly to support their families, sing songs and pass on the traditions of their people to future generations."^{[Notes 2]}

Track list

Notes

1. ↑ Jesse Kornbluth (29 November 2010). "Holidays 2010". headbutler.com. 
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "The Garifuna Women's Project". 

Further reading

• Alexandra Pecci, "The Beat of a Different Culture", Eagle Tribune, 18 February 2010
• "Go&Do: Umalali performs at The Music Hall on Feb. 19", seacoastonline.com, 10 February 2010