Have you ever touched a drum? Have you ever gently…lightly, tapped the top of a drum and feel the vibrations under the tips of your fingers? Have you ever felt the chill of real music flow through your entire being as if somehow engulfing your soul? P…U…N…T…A! A part of my heritage, the co-applicant on my road to slavery vindication… this music reflects who we are, what we stand for…Music …real music…hardcore music…music with a purpose…No Disrespect! Punta music is a cornerstone of our history, our culture, and our life as Belizeans, the very ground on which we stand.
Over the years punta music has definitely grown. It has arrived at a point that has gone past Belize and advanced to the world. Artists like the late great Andy Palacio and the legendary Paul Nabor have traveled the world and back capturing the masses with our sound. Chico Ramos, Punta Rock artists like Supa G, Reckless, Aziatic (Los Angeles), Punta Boys, New Rebels band and more have traveled to Honduras, Guatemala, and many other countries in Central America. Supa G has headlined and rammed clubs in Las Vegas and LA no matter how many times he has been there. In these countries our artists are treated like royalty, being rushed for autographs and pictures. Punta Rock is still alive on the radio and in the nightclubs and it still has the same effect as it always had. As the intro of a Supa G, Reckless, Chico Ramos or any other punta artist’s intro starts, the dance floor turns into a Punta-Off. Every person, mixed, garifuna, mayan, creole, mestizo, rich, middle-class, poor knows how to “GET DOWN” to Punta.
Punta is only one genre of music in Belize but the one that we identify ourselves as Belizeans with the most.