Pablo Ariola is Garifuna King

As part of the Garifuna settlement day festivities in Belize, Garifuna communities across the nation have embarked on their celebratory festivities and in San Pedro it is no different. On Saturday night, the Lions Den came alive with the thriving flag colors of black, yellow and white which was the host venue of the Garifuna King event. Music and dance were a huge part of their culture and on Saturday guests were treated to some good cultural presentations, the sounds of the beating drums and the chants and dance of the Garifuna men and women. Several men engaged in a ‘dance-off’ whilst other showcased their beating drum skills whilst they each made their skit presentation depicting their culture. Of the top three men; Andy Carr, Pablo Ariola and Delroy Zuniga presentation included a fisherman act, a drum scene and a cassava making act. At the end of the night, Pablo Ariola was crowned ‘Garifuna King’. Other activities during the week include: a drumming competition, and the re-enactment of their arrival to our shores. From their infectious music and dancing to their colorful clothing, Garifunas have no doubt left their blueprint on the Caribbean and Central America.

A melodious drum presentation at the beginning of the night..

A garifuna woman...
Dancing is an important part of the culture..

Men beating the primero and segundo drums...

a cultural representation of the punta dance...

Garifuna king contestants performed skits depicting a part of their culture...

And the winner is...
(from L to R) Delroy Zuniga (3rdplace), Pablo Ariola (GARIFUNA KING) and Andy Carr (second place).

We'll have more on this story in Thursday's edition of The San Pedro Sun!