Belizean Reggae Group set the stage starting in 1978
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Babylon Warriors
"The songs are well-arranged and executed, incorporating ska and funk elements as well as a variety of different tempos."
Don Snowden, LA Times
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"L.A.’s most respected reggae band."
Ron Gales, Music Connection
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"Jamaica’s Karl Pitterson has produced most of Jamaica’s best artists.
Now with the Babylon Warriors, he helps discover one of America’s best."
Roger Steffens
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"The Babylon Warriors take their snake-like rhythms and impassioned vocals to the Sunset Strip. They have earned a place at the frontline of the reggae troops.
John Sutton Smith 'LA. Weekly
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REGGAE -- Babylon Warriors performing Roots Music --
PUNTA -- Babylon Warriors performing Culture Music --
Babylon Warriors
"...rich with African and Belizean tones that captivated all that was under its sound. A wonderful learning, and tantalizing experience."
Cultural Enrichment Program,
Pepperdine University
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Beginning with early musical experiments between two African Belizean groups (Creole and Garifuna), this rhythm known as Punta Rock is mainly a Belizean phenomenon. But, with tribal and world-beat music’s rise in popularity, Punta Rock has put Belize on the musical map.
Babylon Warriors electrified the rhythm from its traditional style taking Punta music into world beat arenas and straight into the hearts of music lovers world wide
Charikanari is the dramatization of a hunting scene. As this masked dance begins, the observer is introduced to a two footed cow and a hunter (hunta-man) carrying on his shoulder a sixteen-gauge gun.
As the story unravels, we witness the frolicsome capers of the lilting tune of the harmonica accompanied by the resounding, measured, rhythmic boom of the Garifuna bass drum (Segundo) and the lead Garifuna drum (Primero).
The buffoonery never fails to capture the imagination of the audience.
Charikanari (Two Foot Cow) music is recorded on the
Babylon Warriors 'Punta Hits CD' on Caye Records
" Charikanari " by: Clifford Palacio -- Photo by: Ras Khatuce / Stan
The true origin of Wanaragua (John Conoe) is rather obscure. Some believe that it is a ceremonious war dance performed by the Carib Indians before a major engagement. There are those who claimed that John Conoe is an imitation or mimicry of the behavior of the Europeans (Bagalana). Whatever its origin, in Belize the John Conoe dance is an extended Christmas celebration starting on Christmas Eve with Wareen dance (a variation of Wanaragua) to January sixth (Diarey Dia de los Reyes).The dance troupe goes from door to door dancing and celebrating
In Dangriga "Belize" (Yurumein) Garifuna men wearing masks, dressed in white tunics, white trousers, a crown adorned with mirrors and colorful plumes, ribbon stretching over the shoulder diagonally across the body with the ends hanging loosely. The chieftain carried a sword as a sign of authority, while his assistant carries a bell and a purse.
Today Garinagu follow the same custom everywhere especially in Los Angeles.
The Jankunnu music which is recorded on Babylon Warriors Punta Hits CD is extremely fast. It demands rapid footwork directed at striking the front part of the feet or toes on the dancing surface as to produced an audible rhythm of the shells worn on the knee, creating a pleasing visual effects.
In the nineteenth century various forms of Wanaragua appeared on many Islands of the West Indies /Dominica / Santo Domingo / Jamaica and others.
Wanaragua (John Conoe) researched by Clifford Palacio
BABYLON WARRIORS
