Aurelio Martínez Suazo (26 September 1969 – 17 March 2025), professionally known as Aurelio, was a Honduran singer-songwriter and politician. Known for his

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 langua ...

, he was considered a cultural ambassador of the

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

people. According to ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', he became the leading Garifuna performer after the death of musician

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 coasta ...

. His album "Laru Beya" was considered among the best albums of Latin American music, according to Los 600 de Latinoamérica, a 2024 ranking made by Latin American music critics.

Life and career

From 2006 to 2010, Martínez served as the first

Afro-Honduran Afro-Hondurans (), also known as Black Hondurans (), are Hondurans who have predominantly or total Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Research by Henry Louis Gates regards their population to be around 1-2%.However more accurate research sources fro ...

member of the

National Congress of Honduras The National Congress () is the legislative branch of the government of Honduras. Organization The Honduran Congress is a unicameral legislature. The nominal President of the National Congress of Honduras is currently Luis Redondo. Its m ...

. In 2021, a number of his songs were featured in the documentary about an excavation by the

German Archaeological Institute The German Archaeological Institute (, ''DAI'') is a research institute in the field of archaeology (and other related fields). The DAI is a "federal agency" under the Federal Foreign Office, Federal Foreign Office of Germany. Status, tasks and ...

at the coastline of Honduras accompanying an exhibition of the

Rietberg Museum The Rietberg Museum is a museum in Zürich, Switzerland, displaying Asian, African, American and Oceanian art. It is the largest art museum focusing on non-European art and design in Switzerland, the third-largest museum in Zürich, and the large ...

. Martínez and 12 other people died on Roatán Island on 17 March 2025, after

Aerolínea Lanhsa Flight 018 Aerolínea Lanhsa Flight 018, a British Aerospace Jetstream, was a Honduran charter flight to carry passengers from Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport, on Roatán Island, department of Islas de la Bahía, to Golosón International Ai ...

, the plane he was travelling on, overran the runway of

Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport () is an international airport located on the island of Roatán, in the Caribbean Sea off the northern coast of Honduras. from DAFIF (effective October 2006) Roatán is in the Bay Islands Department o ...

and fell into the sea. He was 55.

Discography

Solo records

* 2017: ''Darandi'' (Real World Records / Stonetree Records
DarandiDARANDI, by AURELIO
ref> * 2014: ''Lándini'' (

Real World Records Real World Records is a British record label specializing in world music. It was founded in 1989 by English musician Peter Gabriel and original members of WOMAD. A majority of the works released on Real World Records feature music recorded at R ...

/ Stonetree Records) * 2011: ''Laru Beya'' (

/ Stonetree Records) * 2004: ''Garifuna Soul'' (Stonetree Records) * 1995: ''Songs of the Garifuna: Lita Ariran'' (JVC World Sounds)

Collaborations

* 2007: ''Wátina'' – Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective (Stonetree Records / Cumbancha) * 1999: ''Paranda'' – Various Artists (Stonetree Records )

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Martinez, Aurelio 1969 births 2025 deaths Deputies of the National Congress of Honduras Honduran male singers Garifuna people Garifuna music Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 2025 Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Honduras 21st-century male singers 21st-century Honduran politicians Musicians killed in aviation accidents or incidents