Andy Palacio & the Garifuna Collective
For Andy Palacio and band, Austin City Limits was uphill: mic-ing the tree-trunk-sized lanigi garawon (heart) drum sprouted problems, their seventysomething patriarch Paul Nabor couldn’t make it, and during the opener, the bass amp went belly-up. All in a day’s work for these global touring veterans. And heat? No sweat. Palacio & Co. hail from tropical Belize. Members of the Garifuna, a social group descended from African slaves and Caribbean aboriginals, this seven-member troupe’s music was as inviting as a white-beached lagoon. Sampling heavily from Wátina, Palacio opened with “Miami,” an energetic sample of his recent, top-notch debut. Ode to Garifuna culture “Ámeuyengü” appeared halfway through the set and segued into what the charismatic Palacio described as “breaking it down to the roots,” an inundation of punta rhythms. The singer/guitarist plucked a lady from the packed tent, pulling her onstage to help embody the chants-and-percussion interlude. Dancing, hallowed and suggestive, reflected the music. When the dust settled, Andy Palacio & the Garifuna Collective started late, stayed late, and played great.
This article appears in September 21 • 2007.