Music of Honduras - Garifuna Music

Garifuna Music

The Garifuna came from and escaped Island Caribs who were deported from St. Vincent to Central America (especially Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, and also in Nicaragua in 1802) by the British when they conquered St. Vincent. The Garifunas kept themselves apart from the social system then dominant, leading to a distinctive culture that include chumba and hunguhungu, a circular dance in a three beat rhythm, which is often combined with punta. There are other songs typical to each gender, women having eremwu eu and abaimajani, rhythmic a cappella songs, and laremuna wadauman, men's work songs. Other forms of dance music include matadfgmuerte, gunchei, charikawi and sambai.