In headline terms the history of Honduras is pretty similar to many of the neighbouring countries we have already visited in this series: some advanced indigenous civilizations; Spanish conquest; independence; US interference; civil wars; coups; and now more US interference.
But Honduras also shares more positive features with its neighbours, not least the amazing biodiversity, top nosh and a vibrant music scene. And the last of those is what we will be focusing on today.
One of the other things Honduras shares with some neighbours are the Garifuna people. We covered them and their music in the earlier posts on Belize and Guatemala but Honduras has by far the largest number of Garifuna so it would be remiss not to do so again.
Which is why we are starting the show with the late Aurelio Martínez, who sadly died in a plane crash last year aged just 55. Aurelio picked up the mantle of the leading Garifuna musician from Belize's Andy Palacio after the latter's own premature death in 2009 and did a huge amount to promote their culture. This track comes from "200 + 10 + 2".
One of the landmark recordings in Garifuna music was the 2008 album "Umalali: The Garifuna Women's Project". One of the many fine female singers featured on the album was Chella Torres, who finally released her debut solo album "Aye" in 2024. That's where this track is from.
We will finish our mini Garifuna Fest with the earliest recording of the three. It comes from Lugua & The Larubeya Drummers, whose album "Bumari" was released in 1997. They play turtle and conch shells as well as drums and are modern day heirs to the percussive tradition linked to Garifuna festivities such as Wanaragua.
Now on to the rest of Honduras. Los Robbins were top of the pops in Tegucigalpa back in the 1960s with their blend of surf, rocksteady and Spanish influences. The mighty Munster Records of Madrid released a compilation of their work called "La Maravilla Musical de Honduras" but this particular track is from a Vampisoul single.
I have been able to find out a grand total of nothing about our next act, Sacrificio. The track appears on the compilation "Sonidos Perdidos de Centroamérica", which has featured a few times already this series. My guess is it was recorded in the first half of the 1970s but who knows. Possibly one of our many Honduran readers, in which case please add details in the comment section.
We are taking a big leap forward to 2022 for our next two selections. We start with Talos and their concept album about a bronze android gifted to the king of ancient Crete to help protect the island from undesirables ("not that old chestnut" I hear you say). The band describe their style as "progressive rock with fusion elements reminiscent of Canterbury". One for George, perhaps. Or perhaps not.
Our penultimate selection was only released for the first time in 2022 but was recorded some time before that. Guillermo Anderson was a singer-songwriter from the port city of La Ceiba who was active from the mid 1980s until his death from cancer in 2016. I can't tell you any more about where "Respirante" might slot into his extensive catalogue but I dig the mellow vibe.
Our MAR selection is almost as mellow as Guillermo. Whether that is down to Frecuencia Roots or their guests Natty Dread and Mahantta I'm not sure. What I am sure of is that the Roots Boys hail from San Pedro Sula and have been on the scene for ten years now. This track can be found on Volume 9 of the Cultura Reggae series of compilation albums which are entirely devoted to Latin American reggae and as such have been an invaluable source for this series.
"Miskitu Indian" - Aurelio y Los Bravos Del Caribe
"Gudemein Nuwagu" - Chella Torres
"Bungiu Baba (Father God)" - Lugua & The Larubeya Drummers
"Patricia" - Los Robbins
"Soy Mulato" - Sacrificio
"Creta" - Talos
"Respirante" - Guillermo Anderson
"Tu Sonrisa (with Natty Dread & Mahantta)" - Frecuencia Roots
We are going to back to the Garifuna people for the first of the videos. Tavo Man created a minor sensation last year when he became the first Garifuna musician to be nominated for a Latin Grammy. This is the song that did it for him but if I wanted to spice up my wanaragua party I'd probably opt for something by Isabella Lovestory instead (at the risk of giving the Garifuna grannies the vapours).
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