Julio Zelaya

Yurumenis a musical work based on the Garifuna rhythms. The Garifunas are an Afro-Honduras culture whose rhythms, dances and traditionfs began in the country of Honduras over 200 years ago.

Yurumen is a music story about this people, told in a universal language. Their rhythms and instrumentations have been mixed with harmonic and melodic elements from other styles of music, especially samba, bossa, salsa, pop and jazz.

For the Garifuna people, their music and rhythms are a very important part of their daily life; the rhythms are present in every celebration of life or death, according to the Garifuna tradition.

In this recording, almost all existing Garifuna rhythms and variations were used. There are about ten different rhythms, and some of them have some very dramatic variations. Their primary instrument is the tambora Garifuna. Made out of wood and deer skin, they make them in different sizes such as bass, segunda y primera for soloing. Other percussion instruments include their own hand-made maraca, turtle and armadillo shells, snail crust (used as a wind instrument), claves, guiros and just about anything else they can use. All of these instruments have been used in this recording along with modern instrumentation.

As in many other cultures in the world, the Garifuna people live under the constant menace of extinction. —Courtesy Calabash Music