Oregon Zoo | 4001 SW Canyon Road, 226-1561 [map]
[BELIZEAN GROOVE] A boat carrying African slaves wrecked off the Honduran coast in the 1600s, the survivors intermarrying with the local native Americans and eventually creating the distinctive Garifuna culture. Four centuries later, Belize’s Andy Palacio, the reigning king of Garifuna pop called punta (which resembles merengue or soca) sought his musical roots. Palacio embellished traditional Garifuna music’s percussion-fueled harmonized chants and complex rhythms with electric and acoustic guitars to create one of last year’s most sensational world-music albums, Watina. Now he’s touring the world, recording with Fatboy Slim, and getting people dancing to an irresistible Afro-Caribbean beat. Oh, and rescuing an endangered musical culture to boot. BRETT CAMPBELL.
Oregon Zoo. 7 pm. $9.75. All ages. 08/08/07 >>