_{Photo: (l-r) DJ Dala and Kenny Morgan}

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Aug. 15, 2024

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology (MoECST) partnered with the Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations, and the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH), to officially launch the Belize Music Project on Wednesday, August 14.

Belizean producer Ivan Duran is the director of the Belize Music Project, which aims to document and celebrate the rich musical heritage of Belize while reconnecting a younger generation with their cultural roots.

“It’s an important project for us to connect history with future generations of artists and musicians. Why can’t we have the next Bob? Why can’t we have the next Rihanna? Why can’t we have the next Marshall Montano? Or whoever it is; we have talented people here,” said Hon. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism.

“Belizean music has made an amazing and important contribution to the national development of Belize as a nation, and a very significant one to the global musical community, especially as a form of world-beat music. Many times, we do not understand as Belizeans that our music fits into a global arena – Brukdown, Punta Rock, and all other genres of Belizean music,” said Bilal Morris, Belizean music and sports documentarian/activist living in Los Angeles.

Morris described the musical artists before us as legends.

“We have to look at our musical artists as legends, those who came before us, because our young generation has had no idea about the great Belizean artists, and the shoulders that they stand upon,” he said.

According to Minister of Education, Hon. Francis Fonseca, the project aims to preserve Belize’s rich musical heritage while fostering innovative expressions that bridge traditions with future artistic endeavors by instilling cultural pride and identity.

The project was compiled through research, interviews, and recordings in different musical forms. Minister Fonseca says the time is now to reconnect with our musical heritage.

“The time is now for our current musicians and producers to reconnect with their roots; time for our students to explore their musical heritage, both in the classroom and on stage, through their phones and in the museum. There is no better time than now for the Belizean people to discover and embrace their unique musical story,” he said.

By 2025, the project will produce an album featuring 12 songs honoring Belize’s musical traditions with a combination of modern sounds.

The launch was done at the Government House in Belize City.