At the end of the Competition, the following winners were declared:
1st Place – Hanigi Wagübürigu from Dangriga
2nd Place – Liderebugu Familia from Seine Bight 
3rd Place – Ecumenical High School from Dangriga

Best Chumba Performance – Heretimatiwa Úwara from Dangriga
Best Wanaragua Dancer – Ecumenical Junior College
Most Exciting Sisira Performance – Ecumenical Junior College from Dangriga
Maura Lopez Award for Best Group Gayusa – shared by Hanigi Wayunagu and Liderebugu FamiliaFrom Seine Bight.

Olivia Palacio Avila Award for Best Uniform –shared by Walangante Huchelo from Honduras and Ecumenical Junior College from Dangriga 

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The Battle of the Drums 2020 Virtual will showcase 5 types of Garifuna Drumming. The drumming styles are Punta, Paranda, Hungü Hungü, Chumba, and Wanaragua. Each drumming group, comprising of 6 members, will provide choreography showcasing the 5 drumming styles. Each performance will be for a maximum of 8 minutes. The groups will come from Punta Gorda, Seine Bight, Dangriga, and Belize City. All groups are from the country of Belize. The Battle of the Drums Virtual Show will run for approximately 1.5 hours.

The Garifuna Musical Festival 2020 Virtual

The Garifuna Musical Festival 2020 Virtual will be shown to our viewers immediately following the Battle of the Drums 2020 Virtual Show. The Garifuna Musical Festival 2020 Virtual is a structured concert that displays 5 genres of Garifuna music in the following sequence: Hungü Hungü, Paranda, Gunjei, Punta, and Punta Rock. The Garifuna Musical Festival should run for approximately 2 hours. The performances for the Show will be provided by an impressive line-up of local and international bands and artists including:

1. Sweet Pain Band
2. Wageirale Drummers
3. Nuru Ellis and the Garifuna Heart Beat Band Artists
4. Chico Ramos
5. Mohobob Flores
6. Reckless Flores
7. Lloyd Augustine
8. Nuru Ellis
9. GCK

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The Battle of the Drums Competition and Show is one where drumming groups comprised of 6 members compete to be recognized for the prestigious title of Masters of the Garifuna Drums. The following drumming groups participated in the event:

At the end of the Competition, the following winners were declared:

1^st Place – Ecumenical Junior College from Dangriga Town

2^nd Place – Lirahunu Seinbeidi from Seine Bight Village

3^rd Place – Heretimatiwa Úwara from Belize City

Best Chumba Performance – Wageirale Drummers from Dangriga Town

Best Wanaragua Dancer –

Most Exciting Sisira Performance – Wageirale Drummers from Dangriga Town

Best Uniform – Harisi Wayunagu from Dangriga Town

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In this Contest, each school was represented by students from 7 primary schools as follows: from Toledo District: St. Joseph R.C. School of Barranco Village; St. Peter Claver Primary School, P.G. Methodist School, St. Benedict R.C. School from Punta Gorda Town; St. Alphonsus R.C. School from Seine Bight Village; Richard Quinn Primary School from Georgetown Village and Holy Family R.C. School from Hopkins Village.

The winners for this year’s contest are as follows:

St. Benedict RC school
Tiana Arzu – 1st Place

Holy Family R.C.
Clifford Castillo – 2nd place

St. Benedict RC school
Naivi Shal – 3rd place

P.G. Methodist School
Lawrence Tillet – 4th place

Holy Family R.C.
Lynnae Lewis – 5th Place

The Annual Battle of the Drums Primary Schools Garifuna Translation Contest is an activity of the Battle of the Drums Garifuna Language retrieval and preservation program.

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The Ms. Yurumein National Contest is a Garifuna Cultural Talent Show for women over 45 years of age. This Contest provides a forum where our more “matured” Garifuna women can display their creative talent. A Show of this nature provides great entertainment and is generally well-received by the audience. Ms. Yurumein National Contest 2019 featured Garifuna women from various Garifuna communities across the country of Belize, including, Ms. Bernadine Flores from Belize City, Ms. Dorine Castillo from Dangriga, Ms. Judith Williams from Seine Bight and Ms. Digna Franzua from Peini Punta Gorda.

At the end of the contest, 1^st place was awarded to Ms. Dangriga, Dorine Castillo. 2nd Place was awarded to Ms. Belize City, Bernadine Flores, and 3rd place was awarded to Ms. Punta Gorda, Digna Franzua.

The first-place winner received $700.00 while 2^nd place winner received $500.00. The 3^rd place and Consolation prize awards were $300.00 and $200.00, respectively.

The sponsors for this event included: Nurse Veronica Joan Avila, Ms. Stephanie Lambey, Nurse Lucy Cayetano, Mrs. Lilia Gutowski, Dr. Carmen Lopez Avila and Family and Battle of the Drums Secretariat.

Host families were: Mary Palacio and Family, Norma Paulino and Family, Radiance Jacobs and Family and Olivia Palacio Avila and Family.

Ms. Yurumein National Contest is an activity under the Garifuna drumming, singing and dance strategic objective of the Battle of the Drums Garifuna Cultural Retrieval and Preservation Initiative.

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High Schools Battle of the Drums featured the following high schools

1. Stann Creek Ecumenical High School
2. Delille Academy
3. George Town Technical High School
4. Independence High School
5. Julian Cho Technical High School
6. Toledo Community College
7. Wesley College

The objectives of this event are as follows:

1. Allow high school-aged youths to compete in a meaningful way while showcasing their talents in the expressive art of Garifuna drumming, singing, and dance;
2. Provide a forum for high school-aged youths from different parts of the country to interact with each other while engaging in a positive cultural experience and environment;
3. Generate funds which will be re-invested in the High Schools Battle of the Drums thereby making it self-sustaining;
4. Generate funds that will be used to pursue various Garifuna cultural retrieval projects in the participating high schools;
5. Provide a talent pool that will provide future participating groups for Annual (Adult) Battle of the Drums Competition and Show.

The winners of the High Schools Battle of the Drums are as follows:

1^st Place- Ecumenical High School who won $500.00, 1^st Place medals, a pair of Garifuna Drum & a trophy valued at 800.00*

2^nd Place- Delille Academy who won $400.00 and 2^nd Place medals

3^rd Place-Independence High School who won $300.00 and 3^rd Place medals

Best Chumba Performance – Delille Academy, which won $100.00

Best Wanaragua Dancer – Raheem Ramos from Independence Hgh School, who won $100.00

Best Sisira Player – Marion Lewis from Delille Academy, who won $75.00

Other schools received consolation prizes of $200.00 each as well as $50.00 each for contribution to their uniforms.

The High Schools Battle of the Drums is an activity under the Garifuna drumming, singing and dance strategic objective of the Battle of the Drums Garifuna Cultural Retrieval and Preservation Initiative.

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The Goal of the camp is to assist in developing a more climate change resilient culture by fostering a sense of environmental awareness in the participants. This will be done through presentations and workshops which will be provided by various conservation organizations.

The objectives of the Camp are as follows:

1. To identify and share best practices in conserving, preserving and protecting our environment;
2. To provide a forum for participants to learn the Garifuna names of various plants and animals in our environment;
3. To learn Garifuna songs whose lyrics teach about our culture’s interaction with the environment;
4. To instill pride in our environment and culture as well as self-esteem in young Garinagu.

The Battle of the Drums Summer Camp 2019 will culminate with a visit to the Garifuna village of Hopkins, where the participants will be exposed to the Garifuna way of life in that community.  The Battle of the Drums annual summer camp is being financed from proceeds of the Annual Battle of the Drums Competition and show as well by in-kind and cash donations made by generous partners such as Oceana, Southern Environmental Association, Japan’s International Cooperation Agency, BTIA-Toledo, James Bus Line and Romero’s Charters and Tours, among others.

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First Place winners of the Primary Schools’ Garifuna Translation Contest for the past 8 years are as follows:

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On Saturday, November 10, 2018, the 3^rd Annual Miss Yurumein National Contest was held at the Fr. Ring Parish Hall. The Ms. Yurumein National Contest is a Garifuna Cultural Talent Show for women over 45 years of age. This Contest provides a forum where our more “matured” Garifuna women can display their creative talent. This contest features contestants from several municipalities in Belize.

In the end: Ms. Linda Augustine from Belize City won 1^st Place and receive the cash prize of $700.00. Ms. Russell Arzu from Seine Bight village won 2^nd Place and received the cash prize of $500.00 and 3^rd Place went to Ms. Jovita Casimiro from Barranco Village who won the cash prize of $300.00 the other two contestants from Punta Gorda Town and Dangriga Town received cash prizes of $200.00 each.

Garifuna Service Day Mass

On Sunday, November 11, 2018, the Battle of the Drums Secretariat held its 13th annual Anniversary Garifuna Mass and Service Day. The day commenced with the celebration of a Garifuna Mass of Thanksgiving at the St. Peter Claver Church. Thereafter members of the Secretariat visited the homes of 12 elderly Garifuna individuals and issued gift packages. The gifts were mainly to recognize the contribution of these individuals to the Garifuna culture.

The Battle of the Drums activities continue this week with Garifuna Awards and Public Forum on Tuesday, November 13, 2018, at the University of Belize campus, commencing at 7:00 p.m.; Children’s Garifuna Talent Show at Central Park on Thursday, November 15, 2018, commencing at 7:00 p.m.; Battle of the Drums 11th annual Primary Schools Garifuna Translation Contest on Friday, November 16, 2018, commencing at 9:00 a.m. at Fr. Ring Parish Hall. Battle of the Drums Food and Fete on Friday, November 16, 2018, commencing at 8:00 p.m. at PG Sporting Complex and the 13^th annual Battle of the Drums on Saturday, November 17, 2018.

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1^st Place went to Independence High School who took away the trophy and the 1^st Place Plaque. They also won $500.00, a pair of Garifuna drums and 1^st place medals. 2^nd Place went to Delille Academy who won $400.00 and 2^nd place medals. Delille Academy also won the Best Chumba performance and Best sisira (maracas) player. 3^rd Place went to Georgetown Technical High School who won $300.00 and 3^rd place medals.

Best Wanaragua dancer went to Toledo Community College. Consolation prizes went to Wesley College, Toledo Community College, and Ecumenical High School. Awards were also issued to 2 coordinators from each high school for their stellar work in preparing the teams for this prestigious event. As the 2018 first place winner, Independence High School has now ascended to the prestigious status of back-to-back Champion of High Schools Battle of the Drums.

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