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 – Independence Junior College. They received $1,800.00 sponsored by Belize Port Authority, pair of drums valued at $1,000.00, sponsored by Evan and Sylvia Cayetano and a trophy valued at 1,000.00 sponsored In Memory of Leticia Duncan Young.

2^nd Place – Hawani Wayunagu from Dangriga. They received $1,200.00 sponsored by the Martin Petillo Family Memorial Account and $200 sponsored by Mayor Robert Mariano and the Dangriga Town Council of Dangriga Town.

3^rd Place – Ibayani Georgetown from Georgetown. They received $800.00 sponsored Justo and Joan Augustine

Consolation Prizes of $300 each, went to Heretimatiwa Uwara of Belize City, Uwaraguati Peini of Peini, Punta Gorda, Iseri Lumali Bahama of Honduras and Luwaruguma Gulfu of Guatemala. The consolation prizes are sponsored by Dr, Corine Lambey, Mrs. Elma Brown, Ms. Olive Woodye and Ms. Martha Serano.

Best Chumba Performance – Ibayani Georgetown from Georgetown village, who received $150.00 sponsored by Shantae Morrison and Mike Novelo.

Best Wanaragua Dancer – Hawani Wayunagu, from Dangriga Town, who received $100.00, sponsored by Dr. Dez Ann Avila and a plaque sponsored by Dr. Rita Enriquez/Lan Barangu luba Garifunaduou.

Most Exciting Sisira Performance – Luwaruguma Gulfu from Guatemala, who received $100 sponsored by In memory of Zack and Justo Flores.

Maura Lopez Award for Best Group Gayusa – shared by Independence Junior College of Independence Village and Iseri Lumalali Bahama of Honduras. They each received $250 each, sponsored by Family of the late Winston and Maura Lopez.

Olivia Palacio Avila Award for Best Uniform –shared by Ibayani Georgetown of Georgetown Village and Independence Junior College of Independence Village. They received $250 each, sponsored by the family of the late Modesta Palacio.

Mayor Robert Mariano and his wife also offered cash prizes of $125.00 to each of our visiting teams from Guatemala and Honduras.

The annual Battle of the Drums Competition and Show is held each year in Peini Punta Gorda, Belize. The event showcases various aspects of the Garifuna culture while at the same time creating income generating opportunities for the Battle of the Drums Secretariat so that we can support our Garifuna cultural retrieval and preservation initiative which is pursued under the 3 main pillars:

1. Garifuna Language retrieval and preservation
2. Garifuna Drumming, Singing and Dance retrieval and preservation; and,
3. Garifuna Community support.

-End-

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1. St. Joseph R.C. School of Barranco Village
2. St. Peter Claver School of Punta Gorda Town
3. Punta Gorda Methodist School of Punta Gorda Town
4. St. Alphonsus R.C. School of Seine Bight Village
5. Richard Quinn R.C. School of Georgetown Village
6. Holy Family R.C. School of Hopkins Village
7. Holy Ghost R.C. School of Dangriga Town
8. Gulisi Community Primary School of Dangriga Town
9. Sacred Heart R.C. School of Dangriga Town
   

The objectives of the Primary Schools Battle of the Drums are as follows:

• Allow primary school-aged children to compete meaningfully while showcasing their talents
  in the expressive art of Garifuna drumming, singing, and dance.
• Provide a forum for primary school-aged youths from different parts of the country to interact with
  each other while engaging in a positive cultural experience and environment.
• Generate funds that will be re-invested in the Primary Schools Battle of the Drums thereby
  making it self-sustaining.
• Generate funds that will be used to pursue various Garifuna cultural retrieval projects in the
  participating primary schools.
• Provide a talent pool that will provide future participating groups for the High Schools’ Battle of the
  Drums.

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

1st Place – Gulisi Community Primary School of Dangriga Town who won $300.00, 1st Place medals, a pair of Garifuna Drum & a trophy valued at 800.00*
2nd Place – St. Alphonsus R. C. School who won $200.00 and 2nd Place medals
3rd Place – Sacred Heart R.C. School who won $150.00 and 3rd Place medals
Other schools obtained consolation prizes of $100.00 each
Best Chumba Performance – Gulisi Community Primary School, who won $50.00

Best Wanaragua Dancer: It was a tie between Rayjaun Lourie of St. Alphonsus R.C. School of Seine Bight Village and Kayden Mejia of Gulisi Community Primary School, who each won $50.00.
Best Sisira Player – Leedan Castillo of Sacred Heart R.C. School, who won $25.00
Holy Family R.C. School won The Best Gayusa award of $50.00

All schools were supported to prepare for and participate in the event by Minister of State Louis Zabaneh, MinisterRodwell Ferguson, Minister of State Dr. Osmond Martinez, The family of Cornelio and Julia Apolonio, and the Battle of the Drums Secretariat

The Primary 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.,

~END~

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For the first time in the 227 years after this atrocious reality, it is commemorated in Peini Punta Gorda Belize, and it was organized by the Battle of the Drums Secretariat. Peini was originally founded by the Garinagu sometime around 1823. The Garifuna Survival Day event was held at the Central Park in Peini and it featured prayers, speeches, and presentations by school children, youth groups, and adults, as well as, by the Peini Garifuna Choir. Musical entertainment was provided by Georgie’s Garifuna Drummers and New Edition Band.

Two songs that were sung by the Peini Garifuna Choir resonated well with the audience; namely, Luagu Ubou Balliceaux whose lyrics reminded us that, “it was on the island of Balliceaux that we sat and we cried” in a state of utter hopelessness and pity after the initial imprisonment of our people, by the British. The second song, Duna Orinagu, encourages our people to seek learning and intelligence. It also reminds us that educational institutions are available for us to seek advancement to ensure that we do not become the lowly of the earth.

At the end of the event the President of the Battle of the Drums, Darius Avila reminded the audience that the reason that the organization spearheaded the event was because “it is aligned to our organization’s strategic goal of pursuing Garifuna Cultural Retrieval and Preservation”. During the event, in line with the organization’s strategic program of providing support to Garifuna groups that are engaged in some aspect of Garifuna preservation, the President presented pledges of financial support to Georgies Garifuna Drummers (a young Garifuna drumming group) in the amount of $800.00 to purchase uniforms, to Peini Garifuna Choir for $800 to purchase uniforms and to the National Garifuna Council-Peini Branch, $1,200 to assist in covering the cost of annual Garifuna Re-enactment Ceremony (Yurumein) and to assist meeting the cost of Garifuna drumming during the 19 th of November festivities, this year.

See Garifuna Survival Day  2024 Activities here: Watch Now

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The launch of the Garifuna Language in Schools Program is a testament to the collaborative endeavors between the National Garifuna Council and the Battle of the Drums Secretariat. By implementing this program in selected communities of Barranco, Punta Gorda, Georgetown, Seine Bight, Hopkins, and Dangriga, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to safeguarding and revitalizing our ancestral language for the benefit of present and future generations.

The event saw distinguished guests, including the Minister of Human Development, Families, and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia, who expressed her ministry’s full support for the Garifuna Language in Schools Program. She reaffirmed the indigenous identity of the Garifuna people in Belize and the need to provide support the keep the culture intact. Also in attendance was the Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, Dr. Hon. Louis Zabaneh. He highlighted the importance of the 2001 UNESCO declaration that recognizes the Garifuna Language, Dance, and Music as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”, the significance of the Garifuna Language in Schools programs, and its alignment to the macro-competency number 5 of the national curriculum of the Ministry of Education and pledged his support to this vital initiative.

Reflecting on the occasion, the President of the Battle of the Drums, Darius Avila expressed regret that such an initiative wasn’t undertaken earlier but expressed delight that this pivotal moment has finally arrived. He also reminded us that as Garinagu “we have a collective obligation to be engaged in the preservation of our culture”.

President of the National Garifuna Council, Sheena Zuniga, underscored the importance of preserving cultural heritage through the transmission of the ancestral language to future generations. “Our dedication to reclaiming Garifuna as the language of the home is paramount,” stated Zuniga. “We recognize that the survival of our language hinges upon its transmission to our children, and we urge Garifuna parents to embrace this responsibility wholeheartedly.”

See the ceremony in its entirety here: Watch Now

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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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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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