Aurelio - Lándini (2014)

Lándini, the new album from AURELIO, sees him reconnecting back to Plaplaya, the village where he grew up, and back to his musical roots. A narrow spit of land arcs into the Caribbean off the coast of Honduras, where a dark-watered river flows into the sea. There, in a small village without electricity, Garfina songwriter, singer, and guitarist Aurelio Martinez first learned music at his mother's knee. At the end of the day, villagers would return in their boats to the river landing, setting aside work and gathering for the evening. They would gather to hear paranda, the guitar-driven music of Garifuna troubadours, who teased and taught, bemoaned and praised community life. Aurelio joined musical gatherings from a tender age, set atop a table by his uncles. This village, a hamlet named Plaplaya, has become a touchstone for Aurelio, a dedicated Garifuna cultural advocate and musical innovator. In original songs crafted by Aurelio and his mother Maria, as well as traditional tunes, Aurelio returns to the landing place that launched him with Lándini ("landing" in Garifuna), a swaying, bittersweet homage to his beloved home and people. "I consider this album to be the sound of my Garifuna people. On the previous album [Laru Beya] we experimented and collaborated with other artists to reconnect what was lost between Africa and America. This album is purely Garifuna, and the entire spirit of the music reflects the Garifuna experience." It was only by putting great distance between himself and Plaplaya that Aurelio began to hear this spirit in new ways. He toured the world, performing his own music and paying tribute to his late friend and fellow Garifuna music advocate, Andy Palacio. Thanks to the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, Aurelio spent time with Senegalese Afropop great Youssou N'Dour. These worldly experiences led him back to the black river, the beach, and his people. "All the travel made me realize that my real strength as an artist, our real strength as a culture lies in Garifuna communities, in my home village," reflects Aurelio. "The more I have traveled and seen the world, the more need I have felt to come back and to reconnect with my roots." Though it incorporates elements from a wide variety of sources, Garifuna music's heart beats with very personal, deceptively simple tales. Aurelio credits his mother Maria, who dreamed of being a professional singer, with introducing him to the basics of Garifuna songcraft. Like many Garifuna, she composed her own songs based on community events and her personal experience, songs. She would teach the verse and chorus of the songs to her son, who would then go on to build on the tale by adding another verse, in traditional Garifuna style. "My mother is the sole inspiration for this album," says Aurelio. "My mother sees herself reflected in me, to a large degree, the only one of the family who could fulfill her dream of singing professionally. She reminds me of songs, and will give me advice on music and the songs. She's the best example I have in my life of what a human being should be, my main consultant and confidante." Lándini is recorded and produced by Ivan Duran, who hails from Belize and has dedicated most of his professional life to working with Garifuna artists.