An Afro-Indigenous ensemble of musicians from Belize and Honduras, The Garifuna Collective, will be performing at the Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph, VT on November 5th.

The evening begins with a potluck at 5 pm (free event) in the Upper Gallery, and an artist talk at 6 pm (free event), sponsored by Vermont Humanities.

The Garifuna Collective will relate stories about their ancestors—including Joseph Chattoyer, who led the revolt against the British on St. Vincent in the 1700s—and the displacement of the Garifuna people to Honduras and Belize. The Garifuna language, music, and dance are recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, and the band members are actively involved in the preservation and promotion of the language and culture.

The evening will continue with a lively ticketed musical performance, beginning at 7 pm. The performance is not to be missed. BBC music describes the sounds of The Garifuna Collective as “full of surging seaside rhythms and yearning, soulful melodies that hang in the memory.”

The Garifuna Collective has performed in over 30 countries in 5 continents and has been part of the most celebrated Garifuna albums of all time, including the critically acclaimed Wátina, recipient of the Womex and BBC World Music Award and voted by Amazon as the Number One World Music Album of All Time.

They are a seasoned collective of musicians from across different generations, with a dynamic that comes from playing and traveling the world together, sharing their music and stories with global audiences. Their performances spark the history and soul of Garifuna culture into vivid life. While their recordings dip into the massive well of Garifuna songs to create new compositions - some of the singers in the band know hundreds of songs!

The group has maintained its strength despite incredible adversity but the history of the Garifuna people is one of struggle. The Collective take their place in a long line of ancestors, maintaining and growing the Garifuna cultural identity, in a conversation among generations and traditions.

This evening of history, culture, and heritage is made possible through partnership with BarnArts, Vermont Humanities, and the Vermont Art Council.