Primary Schools Battle of the Drums 2024

Friday, November 1, 2024, the 1st annual Primary Schools Battle of the Drums was held at The Sporting
Auditorium in Punta Gorda Town, Toledo District:

Primary Schools Battle of the Drums featured nine primary schools from across Belize as follows:

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.,

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