Title: Laru Beya

Artist: Aurelio

Label: Next Ambiance/Sub Pop

Format:  CD, MP3

Release date: January 18, 2011

Laru Beya, Aurelio’s debut album, is global pop that is informed by his musical roots and influenced by some big-name musical mentors.  Aurelio (a.k.a. Aurelio Martinez) is a Garifuna, a descendant of West African slaves who were shipwrecked on St. Vincent the mid 1600s and intermarried with the Caribs and Arawaks living there at the time.  The Garifuna have since spread throughout the Caribbean and Central America.  Aurelio’s album reflects this lineage, with some traditional Garifuna music along with rhythms and instrumentation that evokes the Caribbean and Central America with a solidly guitar-driven global pop vibe.

Most prominently, this album is a tribute to Andy Palacio, a Garifuna musician who, with his group the Garifuna Collective, almost singlehandedly brought about a revival of traditional Garifuna music.  Palacio also often used music to make social statements, a tradition that Aurelio continues with songs like “Weibayuwa” (“Sharks”), which compares politicians to bloodthirsty sharks, even though Aurelio himself was a congressman in the Honduras Legislature from 2006-2010.

Another guest on the album, Senegalese afro-pop musician Youssou N’Dour, took Aurelio on as a protégé in 2009 and provides guest vocals on a track called “Wamada” (“Our Mutual Friend”), which serves as a tribute to Andy Palacio, who passed away in January of 2008.  “Wamada” also uses traditional elements of Garifuna music, most notably Aurelio’s vocals, which contain part of the sacred Dugu ceremony, which he sings in honor of Palacio.

So if you were a fan of Andy Palacio or simply enjoy global pop, Aurelio’s album Laru Beya (“By the Beach”) comes highly recommended.  But don’t take my word for it, listen to the title track for yourself, which not only features Aurelio’s distinctive, slightly raspy vocals, but also guest appearances by vocalists from Orchestra Baobab.