Latest news with #RealWorldRecords
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Aurelio Martínez, Honduran Musician and Star of Garifuna Music, Dead at 55
Aurelio Martínez, the celebrated Honduran folk musician who helped introduce the wider world to the music of the Garifuna people, died Monday, March 17, in a small passenger plane crash. He was 55. Martínez was one of 13 people who died when the small plane crashed moments after taking off from an island near mainland Honduras. The musician's label, Real World Records, confirmed Martínez was among those who'd died in a statement. More from Rolling Stone Jesse Colin Young, Youngbloods Frontman Who Sang Sixties Hit 'Get Together,' Dead at 83 Wheesung, South Korean Star Who Helped Bring R&B to K-Pop, Dead at 43 D'Wayne Wiggins, Co-Founder of Tony! Toni! Toné!, Dead at 64 'Aurelio was more than just a musician — he was a statesman, a spokesperson and vital savior of the culture of the Garifuna people of Honduras,' the statement read. Peter Gabriel, who founded Real World Records, paid tribute to Martínez on Instagram, writing, 'His music will, I am sure, live on with all its artistry, sensitivity and musicianship. The deep love he had for his own Garifuna people will always be remembered, but it is most of all his own generosity and warmth that will be badly missed by all of us who loved him.' Born and raised in the small coastal village of Plaplaya, Martínez showed his musical prowess at a young age. Guided by his mother and uncles, he began playing percussion instruments at Garifuna ceremonies as a child, and was a well respected local musician by the time he moved away for school at the age of 14. The Garifuna people are descendants of Indigenous Caribbean tribes and enslaved Africans, who were exiled from St. Vincent and the Grenadines by British colonizers and settled largely on the coast of Central America. Garifuna music incorporates sounds from African, indigenous, Caribbean, and Latin traditions, with Martínez telling Rhythm Passport in 2017, 'Music is the most lively aspect of Garifuna culture because it captures our sentiments, preserves the language and reflects our spirituality.' He added: 'My people have a long history of resistance that goes back to the days of slavery and our homeland of St. Vincent. My music is an expression of freedom and hope. Garifuna music wants to transmit a message of peace and community.' After leaving Plaplaya for city of La Ceiba as a teenager, Martínez played with a variety of Latin jazz ensembles before forming his own group, Lita Ariran. Their 1995 album, Songs of the Garifuna was one of the first albums of Garifuna music to receive international distribution. Around the same time, Martínez — who primarily played acoustic guitar — found himself at the forefront of the punta rock movement, a 'high-energy, Garifuna roots-infused pop genre' that enjoyed wide success in Central America during the Nineties (per Real World Records). Martínez's international profile continued to grow after he struck up a friendship with Andy Palacio, another Garifuna artist from Belize. Palacio invited Martínez to perform at a Garifuna festival he organized, and the two recorded the duet 'Lánarime Lamiselu' for a compilation put out by Stonetree Records. Palacio also introduced Martínez to producer and Stonetree founder Ivan Duran, who would produce Martínez's 2004 solo debut, Garifuna Soul. The following year, however, Martínez stepped back from music and into politics, joining the Honduras National Assembly as one of the country's first congressmen of African descent. It was only after Palacio's sudden death in 2008 that Martínez felt compelled to perform and record again. He would go on to release three more albums, 2011's Laru Beya, 2014's Lándini, and 2017's Darandi. After Palacio's death, Martínez became arguably the world's most prominent Garifuna musician. But he remained a voracious student, always looking for ways to expand the possibilities of traditional Garifuna sounds. He spent time in Senegal, for instance, working with the singer-songwriter Youssou N'Dour and Orchestra Baobob, with those influences making their way onto Lándini. 'I have learnt that music has the power to carry the message of my people to the world and that it transcends beyond just entertainment,' Martínez said in that 2017 interview. 'I started with traditional Garifuna music and chords (usually only three chords) after traveling and sharing with artists around the world. Today, I not only see Garifuna music in my music: My music now has many elements of other styles, even though the essence continues to be Garifuna.' Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
The Independent
18-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Honduran singer and politician Aurelio Martínez among 12 killed in Caribbean plane crash
Twelve people including a popular musician have been killed after a plane crashed into the Caribbean Sea shortly after taking off from Honduras. Tributes have been paid to Aurelio Martínez, a congressman and Garifuna singer who was among the victims of the tragic incident on Monday. The plane had taken off from the island of Roatan but made 'a sharp turn to the right of the runway and fell into the water,' civil aviation official Carlos Padilla said, according to CBS. Five people were rescued from the crash, the fire department said, after emergency responders waded through the water to pull survivors from the wreckage. Martínez's record label confirmed he was among those killed. 'Aurelio was more than just a musician — he was a statesman, a spokesperson and vital saviour of the culture of the Garifuna people of Honduras,' Real World Records said in a statement. The music label said Martínez began performing when he was just a boy and became an 'innovative artist', before joining the Honduran national assembly as one of the first congressmen of African descent. There were 15 passengers and two crew aboard the small Jetstream 32 plane, the New York Times reports. Fishermen were among the first on the scene, according to local media reports, spotting bodies and survivors in the water before going to the rescue of some of the people crying out for help. Honduran President Xiomara Castro said she activated an emergency taskforce to respond to the crash, which included the Honduran fire department, the army, national police and the Red Cross. 'They have immediately arrived at the scene of the plane crash that occurred 1 km from Roatán International Airport and are tirelessly assisting in the unfortunate incident,' she wrote in a translated post on X. 'The public hospitals in San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba are now ready to treat injured passengers. 'May God protect people's lives.'
