Punta rock, or Belizean punta, is a form of

Garifuna music Garifuna music is an ethnic music and dance with African, Arawak, and Kalinago elements, originating with the Afro-Indigenous Garifuna people from Central America and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. In 2001, Garifuna music, dance, and language ...

originating in

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wa ...

and created by Pen Cayetano. Songs are usually sung in Belizean Kriol or

Garifuna The Garifuna people ( or ; pl. Garínagu in Garifuna) are a people of mixed free African and indigenous American ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language, and Vincentian Cr ...

and rarely in Spanish or English. Many Garifuna American singers perform the genre as well.

Origins

Punta rock is a subgenre of punta that was created by Pen Cayetano in Belize in 1978.What is Punta?
/ref> Punta is a style of traditional music and dance that developed among the Garifuna people of Saint Vincent,

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...

, Belize,

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by Hon ...

, and

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the coun ...

. While this style is unique, calypso and soca have had some influence on it. Like calypso and soca, punta rock was used for both social commentary and risqué humor, though the initial wave of punta acts eschewed the former. Punta rock is played at parties, celebrations, parks, and other outdoor locations. Lord Rhaburn and the Cross Culture Band were integral in the acceptance of punta by Belizeans (namely Kriols) through their performance of calypso songs about punta.

Notable artists

Belizean * Pen Cayetano *

Andy Palacio Andy Vivian Palacio (December 2, 1960 – January 19, 2008) was a Belizean punta musician and government official. He was also a leading activist for the Garifuna people and their culture. Biography Palacio was born and raised in the coastal ...

Paul Nabor Paul Nabor (26 January 1928 – 22 October 2014), born Alfonso Palacio, was a Garifuna singer and musician from Punta Gorda, Belize. He is often credited with popularizing paranda, a style of traditional Garifuna music, and is considered to have ...

Honduran *

Aurelio Martínez Aurelio Martínez, professionally known as Aurelio, is a Honduran musician and politician. He is a singer, percussionist, and guitarist known for his Garifuna music and is considered a Cultural Ambassador of the Garifuna people. According to the ...

* Banda Blanca

References

{{reflist Garifuna music Belizean music