The Garifuna of Belize and Honduras are uniquely descended from the West African, Carib and Arawak people. Traditional Garifuna music is rich with African-inspired percussion, and relies primarily on two Garifuna drums fashioned from mahogany that have a drumhead made of the skin of a pig, deer or sheep–the “primera,” (“the heart drum,”) which which has a higher-pitched tone, and a “segunda,” (“the shadow drum,”) which is the bass drum. Sometimes there is also a tercero, which sets the foundation with a bass line while the segunda plays a counter-rhythm to the primera.
Take a Garifuna Drumming Vacation and visit the Warasa Garifuna Drum School.
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