RCM: The Garifuna Collective with Special Guest Mis Blandine

“The complex rhythms demand attention and quickly resolve themselves into a completely irresistible groove. When the melodies kick in on top of them, the lushness is overwhelming.” (The Wall Street Journal)

From Belize, The Garifuna Collective a driving force in celebrating the rich cultural heritage and music of the Garifuna people, an Afro-Indigenous group community with a rich cultural heritage, originating from the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and now residing in various countries, including Honduras, Belize, and the United States.

Their music is “full of surging seaside rhythms and yearning, soulful melodies that hang in the memory” (BBC Music) and has been described as “an extraordinary blend that layers soulful, indigenous and African rhythms with sweet, lyrical melodies” (NPR). The band’s energetic and evocative live shows draw from their extensive repertoire, mixing traditional Garifuna rhythms with contemporary world music grooves.

Singer/songwriter and percussionist Blandine Kaniki, winner of an African Entertainment Award 2015 as Best Female Voice, blends the soul of rhumba with urban music. The Congolese Canadian singer’s 2019 album L’Antidote featured a powerful collaboration with the legend of Congolese music Nyboma and lead guitarist Lokassa Ya M’Bongo.