20
April
12
THE GARIFUNA COLLECTIVE with very special guests AURELIO MARTINEZ & DANNY MICHEL play the north beach of Ambergris Caye, Saturday April 21st, 2012 at 4:00 PM
Sundiver Beach, 4.5 Miles North, San Pedro
Following on February’s concert in San Pedro featuring The Garifuna Collective, Stonetree Records and Sundiver Beach are excited to announce that Belize’s internationally-acclaimed musical ambassadors will be returning to the island on Saturday, April 21st with a couple of very special guests for an afternoon/evening of great music and dance. Admission is free.
AURELIO MARTINEZ—Celebrated singer, composer, and guitarist from Honduras, Aurelio has been a major figure in Garifuna music for decades, having entertained audiences in over 20 countries with his unique Paranda style and incredible stage energy.
DANNY MICHEL — This enormously entertaining singer/songwriter/guitarist from Canada currently is working on a new record in Belize featuring The Garifuna Collective to be released later this year. With a few Juno nominations and about eight solo albums to his credit, his honest and straight-forward lyrics, earnest live performances and witty stage banter have earned him a devoted global fan base
With delicious food, blended cocktails, ice cold beers and a fun crowd this is a party not to be missed! Look out for future live music events at Sundiver, posted on the AB blog as information is received.
7
March
12
Belize is still buzzing after partying this weekend with HRH Prince Harry of Wales, who arrived into the country on Friday for a couple of days as part of a Diamond Jubilee tour in honor of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, who is celebrating 60 years on the throne. Here is a little round up of the highlights….
“When it became clear that I was to represent my grandmother in Belize, my heart leapt – for a good reason,” he said. “She remembers so fondly her visits to this beautiful realm and speaks of the warmth of welcome she received on her most recent visit in 1994. I’m only sorry she can’t make it and you’re stuck with me.” BBC News
Highlights of Prince Harry’s tour included meeting hundreds of Belizeans at a bloc party in the administrative capital Belmopan, where he rallied the party after a speech with the words “Unu come mek we go paati!” a native Kriol dialect and rough translation being ‘let us go party!’ With lively performances by Garifuna, Mestizo and Creole groups, he shook hands, talked to children, samples local delicacies including an exotic cocktail called Hibiscus Punch, made from coconut and white rum….. and of course the mandatory sampling of the local Belikin Beer of Belize.
Prince Harry also visited the ancient Maya Ruin of Xunantunich in the village of Succotz in the Cayo District, accessed via a hand cranked ferry over the Mopan River. Also known as the “Maiden of the Rock”, it is the second tallest Mayan ruin in Belize. It stands 130 feet high to give a panoramic view of the Cayo District, Guatemala and the Mopan River.
The prince proudly presented a special hand carved wooden canoe to the Belikin team competing in the 2012 Ruta Maya, a grueling multi-day canoe race traveling across the country. The dugout canoe was a beautifully crafted water vessel that included the special emblem of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Prince Harry explained that the best memory he is taking is of the people of Belize. “The welcome I received, it feels like I have been here for a week. The music, the people, the culture is incredible.” He said he is looking forward to visiting Belize on a vacation hopefully “not with all the cameras”.
Photos courtesy of the Belize Tourism Board
30
October
11
To mark the opening of conch season on 1st October, Absolute Belize was delighted to be asked by Caribbean Travel and Leisure to report on the festivities. So we set out in search of the best conch dish on the island of Ambergris Caye in the Northern Cayes and had a fun time trawling the more upscale spots and hanging out with the locals at some of the island institutions….. Read here for the full article and the RESULTS!
10
September
11
Belize is a nation that loves to party and the next party starts today…. for 11 whole days.
September 10th is St. Georges Caye Day, marking the defeat of the Spanish navy in 1798 by a heroic crew of British settlers, buccaneers and liberated slaves at the tiny island of St Georges Caye. Twenty minutes by boat from Belize City, the Caye is steeped in history as it was the first capital of the British settlement. The party runs almost right through to the country’s official Independence Day on 21st September, honouring the independence from Great Britain in 1981. Being the county’s 30th birthday, the flags will be proudly flying and the party will be one not to be missed.
