1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:05,240 Speaker 1: On Tuesday, March seventeenth of twenty twenty five, a small 2 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:09,760 Speaker 1: jet stream plane was leaving Roatan Island, a popular destination 3 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: for divers and beachgoers off the coast of Honduras. It 4 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:18,760 Speaker 1: was headed to the nearby city of La Saba on 5 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: the mainland. Almost instantly, the aircraft crashed into the sea 6 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: within a minute of taking off. After a few seconds 7 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: in the air, the plane began to nose dive into 8 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 1: the sea. 9 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 2: Witnesses say the plane made a sharp turn to the 10 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:36,160 Speaker 2: right of the runway and plunged into the water. 11 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: Local fishermen approached, aiming to rescue survivors. For twelve of 12 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: the seventeen passengers and crew, it was too late. 13 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 3: My first thought is that this is fake news, and. 14 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 4: I was like, it's only rumors, it's only rumors, But 15 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 4: then the media confirmed it. 16 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 1: Aboard the plane was Aurelio Martinez, a man who dedicated 17 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 1: his life to playing and preserving the music and culture 18 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: of the Garifuna people. 19 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 3: Something like this happens and you you really see the 20 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:15,680 Speaker 3: true nature of the impact that his music had. 21 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: From Futuro Media and PRX, It's Latino Usa. I'm Maria 22 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:29,119 Speaker 1: and Josa Today the life and legacy of Aurelio Martinez, 23 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:40,759 Speaker 1: a recording artist and star of the Garifuna people. Living 24 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: all along the coast of Central America in tranquil towns 25 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: along White Beaches, is a people known as the Garifuna. 26 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: They are a unique community with mixed Indigenous and African 27 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: roots and a history of resistance against colonialism. 28 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 3: There are also some of the last. 29 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: Remaining speakers of an indigenous Caribbean language, the Garifuna language 30 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: Familia nor would Jo me mama Umadu Amio or Amida 31 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:22,239 Speaker 1: Padi Rayoo. But in Central America, the Garifuna people are 32 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 1: probably best known for their unique soulful music, musical styles 33 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: like baranda and unda, which combine elements from Africa, the 34 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: Indigenous Caribbean, Latin America, and the West Indies. The greatest 35 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: exponent of this music was Aurelio Martinez. Not only was 36 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: Aurelio a once in a generation talent, he was one 37 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: of the loudest defenders of a culture and a people 38 00:02:54,880 --> 00:03:01,079 Speaker 1: under threat. Our co ceo here at Dudo Media and 39 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 1: a former producer at Latino USA, Marlon Bishop was a 40 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: dear friend of Aurelios. In two thousand and seven when 41 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: Marlon was just starting his career. He ended up living 42 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:18,080 Speaker 1: with Aurelio Induras for several months and learning from him 43 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 1: and his music. On today's episode, Marlon shares his story 44 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:26,920 Speaker 1: with Aurelio and pays tribute to his life and his work. 45 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 1: Here's producer Marlon Bishop. 46 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:35,720 Speaker 2: My story with Aurelio begins with a car battery. It 47 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 2: was two thousand and seven. I was twenty two years old, 48 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 2: just out of college. I wasn't yet a journalist. I 49 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 2: had been a musicology student focused on the music of 50 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 2: Latin America. After graduating, I won this fellowship and involved 51 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 2: studying Getti from the music in Honduras. My project was 52 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 2: to make field recordings and interview getting from the musicians. 53 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 2: Back then, social media barely existed, so it wasn't so 54 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 2: easy to find people. So what was my big plan 55 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 2: for getting sources for my project? Show up and hope 56 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 2: for the best. And so show up I did at 57 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 2: the bus station in Las Eba, a relaxed city of 58 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:14,839 Speaker 2: sea breezes and conk soups hugging the Caribbean coast. When 59 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 2: I arrived there, waiting for me was an uncle, specifically 60 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 2: the uncle of a hunter and American friend. From college. 61 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:23,479 Speaker 2: He agreed to pick me up and help get me settled. 62 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:26,040 Speaker 2: I threw my backpack in the car and we drove 63 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:34,280 Speaker 2: off to explore the town. We passed by the quiet 64 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 2: male con the plaza, the mall with the seemingly out 65 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 2: of place Applebee's in it. Soon the uncle pulled over 66 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 2: next to a two story, whitewashed home. He thought I 67 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 2: might be interested in this particular house. It was our 68 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 2: Ralio Martinez's house. My big dream for this trip was 69 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 2: to meet Aurelio. I had been inspired to come to 70 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:57,600 Speaker 2: Hunters after falling in love with his album Got everon 71 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 2: a Soul. Now Here I was in front of his house, 72 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:04,039 Speaker 2: and by chance, here he was too, sitting in a 73 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:07,479 Speaker 2: black pickup truck in his driveway, repeatedly twisting the key 74 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 2: in his ignition. His car battery, as it happened, was dead. Naturally, 75 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 2: we offered to give him a jump and to thank us, 76 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:18,280 Speaker 2: he invited us in for lunch. He was thirty eight 77 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:22,160 Speaker 2: years old, then, short hair, dressed casually, he frequently broke 78 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 2: out into an enormous smile and belly laughs. Aurelia was 79 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 2: already a well known musician and a member of the 80 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:34,160 Speaker 2: Hunter In congress over a seafood stew I told him 81 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 2: about my project, hoping he might grant me an interview. 82 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 2: He had a better idea, Why don't you move into 83 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 2: my house and then you could do all the interviews 84 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:47,160 Speaker 2: you want if we made jam cool ready and so 85 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 2: Over the next three months, I more or less became 86 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 2: Aurelio's random gringo intern. I found this recording of us 87 00:05:57,760 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 2: playing some music together in one of those first days. 88 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 2: For a music nerd like me, it was all kind 89 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 2: of a dream. As Aurelio's random gringo intern I lugged 90 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 2: speakers to concerts, recorded his demos and garage band, and 91 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:16,279 Speaker 2: just kind of followed him around. One day, he took 92 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:19,920 Speaker 2: me to a televised benefit concert held in a gymnasium. 93 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 3: Martinez I love. 94 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 2: The next day we drive out for a cultural event 95 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,359 Speaker 2: in a small church in a Garriffin of Beach Town, 96 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:50,160 Speaker 2: the pews filled with women in pastel dresses. When time allowed, 97 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 2: Aurelio would give me lessons on Garriffin of music. He 98 00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:59,280 Speaker 2: told me about the rhythm that was danced to make 99 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:05,479 Speaker 2: the Yuca Harbor stronger is from Adanza for about the 100 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:06,720 Speaker 2: different songs for men and. 101 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 5: Women Ahadi hana A. 102 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 2: She was an absolute encyclopedia of culture, and he also 103 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 2: taught me about Garriffina history. No Dia. 104 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 6: Africa. 105 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 2: The getting Funa story begins not in Honduras, but on 106 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 2: the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent, located near Saint Lucia 107 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:31,120 Speaker 2: and Barbados. The European powers largely failed to colonize Saint 108 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 2: Vincent at first, facing fierce resistance from the indigenous carab people, 109 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 2: who managed to hold on to most of the island 110 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 2: themselves by at least the seventeenth century. There are records 111 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 2: of a sizeable number of Africans and their descendants living 112 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 2: among them. How exactly they got there is unknown. Some 113 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 2: historians believe they were survivors of wrecked slave ships on 114 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 2: the way to the New World. Others say the Africans 115 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 2: had escaped plantations on neighboring islands and sought freedom in 116 00:07:56,280 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 2: Saint Vincent. Yet others believe their presence may predate colonialism. 117 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 2: Aurelio and most Gariffina people are proud of their history 118 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 2: of resisting enslavement. 119 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 7: La Coomer grif and Nunca acid Clavisa. 120 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 5: It's all Nico Polo in Kurasungia America. 121 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 3: This is Jonas PLAVITOI. 122 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:20,040 Speaker 2: Regardless of how they got to Saint Vincent, the Africans 123 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:23,760 Speaker 2: mixed with and occasionally fought with the native people, ultimately 124 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 2: taking on their Arawak and carab language and culture and 125 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 2: becoming the dominant force on the island. When Europeans returned 126 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 2: to try to finally subdue the island, a fierce war 127 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:36,440 Speaker 2: between the English and these so called Black Caribs broke out, 128 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:40,600 Speaker 2: lasting for several years. The English decided that this powerful 129 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:43,600 Speaker 2: nation could never be brought to heal, so in seventeen 130 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:46,960 Speaker 2: ninety seven they exiled them to Central America, hoping they 131 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 2: might become a headache for the Spanish. The Garufina spread 132 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 2: out all along the then sparsely populated Caribbean coast of 133 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 2: Central America and maintained their mixed African and Indigenous culture 134 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 2: and language for centuries, with nobody bothering them very much. 135 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 2: Aurelia was born and raised in the least bothered of 136 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:14,320 Speaker 2: all the Garriffina towns, Plaplaia. It's far off the road 137 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 2: system and beyond electric light in the Moskitia rainforest. I 138 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:25,719 Speaker 2: had the privilege of visiting Plaplaia with just getting there 139 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 2: is totally an adventure. Boats and trucks driving on the 140 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:31,959 Speaker 2: sand and floated down rivers on rafts. The town is 141 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 2: filled with traditional homes built on a whisper of land 142 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 2: between a lagoon and the sea, and indeed the town 143 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 2: is everywhere in as poetry. He has a song called 144 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:44,200 Speaker 2: Lambdini about being a boy waiting at the river bank 145 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 2: for the adults to come back from work and listening 146 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 2: to the loud silence of the rainforest. Monding Aurelia was 147 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 2: the youngest of a family of nine. When he was 148 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 2: a small child, his father left the home to try 149 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:07,320 Speaker 2: to make money in the United States. Later, Aurelio would 150 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 2: sing about that wound of family separation. His father wrote 151 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:13,720 Speaker 2: songs and played guitar and would send home cassettes that 152 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 2: Aurelio would listen to and study. His mom sang and 153 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 2: compose as well. As a boy, Aurelio crafted his own 154 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 2: makeshift guitar out of scrapwood and fishing lines. If you 155 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 2: saw them from a western lens, al told me you 156 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 2: could say that they were poor, but they were rich 157 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:39,600 Speaker 2: in other ways. Is alta forma derikisa. Nature provided what 158 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:42,960 Speaker 2: they needed. For example, in those years, an expensive delegacy 159 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 2: like crab was plentiful and commonplace. 160 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:51,360 Speaker 7: For them in Una Canasta. 161 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:57,080 Speaker 2: Wherever he went in later years, Plaplie remained. His inspiration. 162 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 6: Is in Centron, the yeomen room. 163 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 2: It's the center that feeds me, it gives me my words. 164 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:11,040 Speaker 2: It's the closeness to nature, to the mother, to the traditions. 165 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:16,319 Speaker 5: La la la latration. 166 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:21,520 Speaker 2: But soon young Aurelio would leave Plaplia and go farther 167 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 2: than that boy waiting at the river landing might ever 168 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:25,120 Speaker 2: have imagined. 169 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:35,319 Speaker 1: Coming up on Latino Usa. Aurelio Martinez, the artist is born. 170 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 1: Stay with us, dear listener. Today we're paying tribute to 171 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:59,560 Speaker 1: the legacy of Garifuna leader and recording artist Aurelio Martinez, 172 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 1: who died in a plane crash in Honduras on March seventeenth. 173 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:07,720 Speaker 1: Before the break, we heard how Aurelio Martinez grew up 174 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:13,319 Speaker 1: in a traditional Gharifuna town surrounded by music. Now let's 175 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:18,680 Speaker 1: get into how Aurelio became a Garifuna superstar. Here's Marlon 176 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 1: Bishop once again. 177 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:23,839 Speaker 2: Aurelia was clearly a gifted child, and when the time came, 178 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:26,560 Speaker 2: his mother arranged for him to leave the rainforest and 179 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,600 Speaker 2: attend high school in the city of Lasba, and soon 180 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 2: after high school. 181 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:33,240 Speaker 3: He was already a rising star. 182 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:37,360 Speaker 2: This is Ivan Duran, Aurelio's longtime producer and the owner 183 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:39,280 Speaker 2: of Stonetree Records, and believe. 184 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:43,880 Speaker 3: This was early nineties. That time, Punta rock was kind 185 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:47,720 Speaker 3: of like picking up and punto rock is a kind 186 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 3: of like the popular Garifuna genre for the dance floor. 187 00:12:54,200 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 3: Nine kind of like a modern version of punta, which 188 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 3: is a traditional rhythm of what goes along with a 189 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:13,280 Speaker 3: fertility dance. And he became a popular punto rock artist. 190 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 2: Aurelio sang with several punta bands, pluding Los Gatos Bravos. 191 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 2: But what got him noticed actually was not his singing, 192 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:22,040 Speaker 2: but his dancing. 193 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 3: Everybody was crazy every time danced. Nobody could dance like him. 194 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:45,440 Speaker 3: But in between that he formed a group called Lita. 195 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 2: Meaning Rooster's Blood in Garifuna. Aurelia's group, Lita Ridan was 196 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 2: something new, a band of young Garyufuna musicians playing a 197 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:50,360 Speaker 2: stripped down but fresh take on traditional music with acoustic 198 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 2: guitars and drums. 199 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 3: That's the first recording I heard from him, and I 200 00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:57,440 Speaker 3: was amazed. 201 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 2: From there, Aurelio's music went in two directions. He started 202 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:06,439 Speaker 2: his own pop band Alrelios Bravos cab with local hits 203 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 2: like pumpy Is Compompis. 204 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:14,960 Speaker 3: And then there's the cultural work, that's how he used 205 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 3: to call it, and travajo cultural, which for him was 206 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 3: all about love, tradition and that true expression of the culture, 207 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 3: and that for him was sacred. 208 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:32,960 Speaker 2: That cultural work really took off once Aurelio met Ivan. 209 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 2: Ivan was a young music producer working on a compilation 210 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:41,640 Speaker 2: of garif Paranda music and Paranda. The Garifna guitar music 211 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:43,960 Speaker 2: would become Aurelio's great passion. 212 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:49,480 Speaker 3: It's very soulful music, right, It's like the troubadors music. 213 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:52,160 Speaker 3: It's like music that tells stories. 214 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 2: Ivano was recording the elder legends of Paranda, hoping to 215 00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 2: preserve the sound of a dying generation, and young Aurelio 216 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 2: was in to participate what. 217 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 3: He transformed the album. 218 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 2: The compilation was a huge success, partially thanks to Aurelio, 219 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 2: and in two thousand and four, Yvon produced Aurelio's first 220 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:15,440 Speaker 2: solo album titled Garifuna Soul. This was the album that 221 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:17,760 Speaker 2: in two thousand and seven brought me to Honduras. 222 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:26,000 Speaker 3: It was a huge success. Everybody immediately learned all the 223 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:28,840 Speaker 3: songs and you could hear them on the radio. Non 224 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:42,080 Speaker 3: stuff ja. It was a masterpiece. I would say that 225 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 3: would be his best album. 226 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 2: Betty's most cultural activist. Pablo Blanco was discovering himself as 227 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:50,680 Speaker 2: a university student in Buffalo when the album came out, 228 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:53,680 Speaker 2: and he remembers playing it on repeat to feel connected 229 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 2: to his Garriffina family back home in the Bronx. 230 00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:59,800 Speaker 3: I mean, how Daniel was our jay z. He was 231 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 3: a fianity. 232 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 8: He was He was the person that really carried the 233 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 8: Garisana people's music to Nancy National Careery, you know, because 234 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:14,880 Speaker 8: he had like elements of rock and funk, jazz and blues. 235 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:38,120 Speaker 6: And his very unique voice. 236 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 2: With Garifuna soul, Aurelio became a known international artist, musician 237 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:40,280 Speaker 2: and recording engineer. Victor Arzu was a frequent collaborator. 238 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:41,000 Speaker 6: Well. 239 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 4: I really was a good hearted person and very friendly. 240 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 4: He was always laughing, you know, smiling, joking. 241 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:56,520 Speaker 2: Aurelio was incredibly disciplined. He rarely drank or smoked and 242 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:59,200 Speaker 2: just had this incredible font of energy, like he never 243 00:16:59,200 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 2: stopped moving. 244 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:04,480 Speaker 4: Sometimes we'll be working up to like you know, three am, 245 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:07,240 Speaker 4: and then we'll go to the linias in Sava where 246 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 4: they sell the baliadas, and then we will be there 247 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:15,159 Speaker 4: at three am, four am, five am looking for food, 248 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:18,680 Speaker 4: and then go back to the studio and keep working. 249 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:21,879 Speaker 2: In two thousand and six, Aurelio was ready for a 250 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:25,000 Speaker 2: new place to direct all that energy, and so he 251 00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:29,080 Speaker 2: turned to politics. Only he sail political. He didn't choose 252 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:31,960 Speaker 2: to be a politician, he once told me. His art 253 00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 2: and the position that came with it pushed him towards it. 254 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 5: I la il poer camiolarte min politica. 255 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:42,920 Speaker 2: Arelio was elected as the first Garivena representative from the 256 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:45,720 Speaker 2: Atlantida province where he lived, and one of the first 257 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 2: black legislators in the nation's history. He was serving in 258 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 2: Congress while I was staying with him in two thousand 259 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:53,760 Speaker 2: and seven. Every week he'd get in his black pickup 260 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:55,920 Speaker 2: truck and drive half a day to his office into 261 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 2: Gusi Galpa. His presence in politics was a true victory 262 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:03,879 Speaker 2: for Getty everywhere. 263 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:03,960 Speaker 6: Del pais. 264 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:13,320 Speaker 2: Politics. He was able to show that the country's minority 265 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:16,640 Speaker 2: populations could be part of the political process and change 266 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:20,800 Speaker 2: their own destinies. But quickly he became frustrated with politics. 267 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:28,880 Speaker 2: Years later he told me about it is Prieste. Aurelio 268 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 2: had hoped to achieve big things, but he ended up 269 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:34,199 Speaker 2: unable to make progress. He wrote up a bill to 270 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 2: protect indigenous land from being overrun by squatters and business interests, basically, 271 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:44,840 Speaker 2: but he could barely get Congress to discuss a single 272 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 2: paragraph of the law. And then, in the middle of 273 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:51,359 Speaker 2: his final term in government, the Belizian Garufna artist Andy 274 00:18:51,359 --> 00:19:02,720 Speaker 2: Palacio passed away. Louba Andy was the voice of the Geifuna. Intuitively, 275 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:05,680 Speaker 2: Aurelio understood that his people needed him as a leader now, 276 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:10,400 Speaker 2: but not in government. On stage, his friend Vaughan remembers 277 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:11,760 Speaker 2: that moment he. 278 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:15,719 Speaker 3: Took that decision to go back into music one hundred percent, 279 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:20,880 Speaker 3: where he wasn't making enough, Like Congress was his salary. 280 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:23,400 Speaker 3: He just didn't care ya. 281 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:32,159 Speaker 2: In the years to come, Aurelio toward the US, Europe, Japan. 282 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:35,520 Speaker 2: He won a mentorship program with Rolex and was inducted 283 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 2: into the Afropop Hall of Fame. Sometimes he wrote songs 284 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 2: about poetic, everyday things, like the song Natigolu about a 285 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:48,439 Speaker 2: woman navigating two lovers. He also wrote songs about how 286 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 2: Geifuna andngos should represent their people instead of lining their pockets, 287 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:55,120 Speaker 2: or how father should take responsibility for their children. 288 00:19:56,080 --> 00:20:01,320 Speaker 3: He always spoke from their heart. He would immediately find 289 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:04,119 Speaker 3: a way how to communicate this struggle. 290 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:15,399 Speaker 2: As big of an artist as he was, Aurelio was 291 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:18,639 Speaker 2: generous with his time and his music. Once we were 292 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:20,920 Speaker 2: on this road trip through Honduras and we stopped to 293 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:22,840 Speaker 2: stay the night at a small garry Funa town that 294 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:26,800 Speaker 2: hadn't yet been electrified, Aurelio spontaneously decided to fire up 295 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 2: a generator, set up speakers, and perform a concert. As 296 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:33,159 Speaker 2: a news spread, people from all over the countryside arrived 297 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:48,080 Speaker 2: by flashlight. We all danced into the night. In the 298 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:50,919 Speaker 2: last decade, Aurelio spent more time in Brooklyn, where his 299 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 2: mother lived. A few times we got together at their apartment. 300 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:57,199 Speaker 2: He'd greet me with that big Aurelio laugh while his 301 00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:01,000 Speaker 2: mom made fresh flower tortillas on the stovetop. I interviewed 302 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:03,199 Speaker 2: him several times as a journalist, and I wrote the 303 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:05,879 Speaker 2: liner notes to his last album. Now I wish I 304 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:07,480 Speaker 2: had made more of an effort to spend time with 305 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:09,680 Speaker 2: him in New York. He always seemed to bit out 306 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 2: of water in the city hemmed In. He was a 307 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:17,720 Speaker 2: long way from pla PLAYA. Listening back now to past 308 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:20,359 Speaker 2: interviews with Aurelio, what stands out to me is the 309 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:23,240 Speaker 2: fire inside of him to fight to preserve his culture, 310 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,639 Speaker 2: the guyu from the language, the music, the ways of being. 311 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:29,479 Speaker 2: The last time we spoke, I asked him why it 312 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:33,280 Speaker 2: was so important to him. Culture. He told me is freedom. 313 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:35,160 Speaker 3: Cultura is libertad. 314 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:38,879 Speaker 2: Culture frees us from negativity and from anger. 315 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:46,160 Speaker 7: Stificoventros cultura not to get In the last years, Yvonne 316 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:49,080 Speaker 7: says Aurelio had something of a writing block and they 317 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 7: couldn't find a way to get back into the studio. 318 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:56,639 Speaker 3: I always used to joke with him, like, oh, really, 319 00:21:56,720 --> 00:22:00,200 Speaker 3: what do you worry about. We can make another on 320 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 3: the album when you're eighty years old and I'm seventy 321 00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:09,280 Speaker 3: eight and even gonna get more gals. And we laughed 322 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:12,000 Speaker 3: about that, and he would go like, oh, man, you're right, 323 00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 3: you're right, you're right. And that's my only regret because 324 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:17,199 Speaker 3: I was hoping to grow old with him in the 325 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:20,720 Speaker 3: studio and now we're not. 326 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:26,840 Speaker 2: And then on the evening of March seventeenth, I started 327 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 2: getting the text messages. Did you hear about Aurelio? I hadn't, 328 00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:33,080 Speaker 2: But when you get a text like that, you know 329 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:38,000 Speaker 2: what it means. News had come. A small airplane crashed 330 00:22:38,119 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 2: near Roatan Island seconds after takeoff. Twelve of the seventeen 331 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:47,360 Speaker 2: passengers and crew were dead. Rumors were spreading that Aralio 332 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:48,800 Speaker 2: was among them, and. 333 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:51,680 Speaker 4: I was like, ah, it's only rumors, It's only rumors. 334 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 4: But then the media confirmed it. 335 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:58,960 Speaker 3: And then two minutes later, bling bling, bling bling, my 336 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:01,879 Speaker 3: phone starts and I I say, oh, man, I just 337 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:05,640 Speaker 3: fucking run out of the parking lot and I started 338 00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:10,080 Speaker 3: screaming because I was just a mess. 339 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:14,439 Speaker 4: And still I woke up, and then I still couldn't 340 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:18,080 Speaker 4: believe it. I still can't believe. You know that he's gone. 341 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:25,600 Speaker 2: The police called the crash an apparent mechanical failure. Arelio 342 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:29,560 Speaker 2: Martinez Gary Finn, a superstar, was dead at age fifty five. 343 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:40,920 Speaker 2: The burial was held in Las Eba, the city Aralio 344 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:44,719 Speaker 2: called home for most of his life. Ivan Duran traveled 345 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:45,760 Speaker 2: from Belize to be there. 346 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:54,760 Speaker 3: The first thing we encountered was hundreds of people outside 347 00:23:54,800 --> 00:24:03,040 Speaker 3: in the street, drumming and singing all his songs. It 348 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:06,920 Speaker 3: was such a beautiful thing that you always think like, man, 349 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:11,960 Speaker 3: I really must be freaking smiling right now. We all 350 00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:16,280 Speaker 3: grieve in different ways, and I wish I could grief 351 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:22,520 Speaker 3: like a gey fun of people, which is almost like 352 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:25,080 Speaker 3: a celebration of life and death. 353 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:30,480 Speaker 2: Wherever Geifuna live. A celebration was held for Aralia from 354 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:37,359 Speaker 2: New York to Houston, New Orleans to belize how is 355 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:40,119 Speaker 2: the community in general feeling right now? 356 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 4: Yeah? Devastating? 357 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 2: I asked Victor r. Zoo, can anyone fill Auurralio's shoes? 358 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:55,200 Speaker 4: There is no one to replace Aurelia because Aralia was unique. 359 00:24:56,920 --> 00:25:01,160 Speaker 4: He believed on his talent sides, the fact that we're 360 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:05,199 Speaker 4: coming from these small towns from Honduras, that we have 361 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:11,280 Speaker 4: been discriminated against, that we now taken into account. He 362 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:16,680 Speaker 4: strongly believed that he can perform on the biggest stage 363 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:18,720 Speaker 4: all over the world. 364 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:23,440 Speaker 3: And then he made it, you know the where. 365 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:31,320 Speaker 2: I really believe that Garufuna culture had much to teach. 366 00:25:31,119 --> 00:25:39,440 Speaker 5: The world, Okay, how to live in harmony with one 367 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:43,160 Speaker 5: another and with nature, and how to value our ancestors 368 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 5: and our elders. 369 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:49,920 Speaker 2: Culture to us is everything that's Activist Pablo Blanco Blanco 370 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:52,440 Speaker 2: told me about the heart of what the Garruhuna have 371 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:53,280 Speaker 2: to teach the world. 372 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:57,400 Speaker 8: We only have one senate as a community called Outni, 373 00:25:58,160 --> 00:25:59,200 Speaker 8: I for you. 374 00:25:58,640 --> 00:25:59,480 Speaker 3: You're for me. 375 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:06,240 Speaker 2: I am for you, and you are for me. That 376 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:10,440 Speaker 2: is how Aurelio lived his life. May we all learn 377 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:11,360 Speaker 2: from his example. 378 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:28,120 Speaker 1: Okay in Fas, Wisconsin. Aurelio Martinez born nineteen sixty nine 379 00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:57,200 Speaker 1: and died in twenty twenty five. Our episode was produced 380 00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 1: by Marlon Bishop with help from Monica more Lis Garcia. 381 00:27:01,119 --> 00:27:05,560 Speaker 1: It was edited by Pennile Ramirez and mixed by Stephanie Lebau. 382 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:10,520 Speaker 1: Fact checking for this episode by Proxana Guire Special thanks 383 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 1: to Ivan Durand and Stone Tree Records, Vito Arsou and 384 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:20,639 Speaker 1: Pablo Blanco. The Latino USA team also includes Julia Caruso, 385 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:26,359 Speaker 1: Felicia Domnuez, Fernando Chari, Jessica Ellis, Victoria Estradra, Dominique In, 386 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:32,600 Speaker 1: Estrosa Rinaldo, Leanos, Junior, Andrea Lopez, Gruzsado, Luis Luna Marta Martinez, 387 00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:37,240 Speaker 1: j j Carubin, Tasha Sandoval, Nour Saudi and Nancy Trujillo, 388 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 1: Pennilee Ramirez, Marlon Bishop, Maria Garcia, and I are co 389 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:45,000 Speaker 1: executive producers and I'm your host, Maria no Rosa. Join 390 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:47,359 Speaker 1: us again, dear listener, on our next episode. In the meantime, 391 00:27:47,359 --> 00:27:49,679 Speaker 1: I'll see you on all of our social media. You 392 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:52,920 Speaker 1: know where to find me, and until then not Teva 393 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:53,280 Speaker 1: yas 394 00:27:53,800 --> 00:28:02,840 Speaker 2: Chao Latino Us is made possible in part by the 395 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:10,560 Speaker 2: Heising Simons Foundation, unlocking knowledge, opportunity and possibilities more at Hsfoundation, 396 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:16,919 Speaker 2: dot Org, Skyline Foundation, and the Ford Foundation, working with 397 00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:20,440 Speaker 2: visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide.