Lebeha Drummers – Biama (Neuma, 2024)
In 1635, a European shipwreck off St. Vincent in the Lesser Antilles changed history. The West and Central Africans aboard, intended for slavery, instead joined the indigenous Carib people, forming the Garinagu community. For nearly 400 years, the Garinagu have preserved their language, food, and traditions, becoming a cornerstone of cultural identity in Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and beyond. Central to this enduring legacy is music and dance.
Located in Hopkins, a coastal village in Belize, the Lebeha Drumming Center was founded in 2003 by Jabbar Lambey and Dorothy Pettersen. Its mission: to nurture Garifuna music and dance traditions among local youth. Under their guidance, the talented young drummers, known as the Lebeha Boys, quickly gained recognition. Their debut album, Lebeha Drumming (2005), recorded under a thatched roof, captivated global audiences with its raw energy.
Fast-forward nearly two decades, and Lebeha’s evolution is marked by Biama (meaning “Two” in Garifuna), their first studio-recorded album. Featuring 13 tracks, the album presents flavorful, scintillating and alluring traditional Garifuna rhythms such as punta, parranda, chumba, wanaragua, and hüngühüngü. While many contemporary Garifuna musicians incorporate modern instruments and amplification, Lebeha Drummers remain faithful to acoustic traditions, relying on vocals, drums, calabash shakers, and turtle shells.
Biama joyfully introduces living Garifuna culture. Songs like “Garifuna Nuguya” (I Am Garifuna), written by Clayton Williams, echo themes of pride and resilience, resonating deeply across Belize. Despite recent challenges, including a pandemic, this album celebrates a community’s enduring spirit.
Today, Lebeha Drummers stand as torchbearers of Garifuna music, proving that tradition is not a relic but a living, breathing force. Through the masterful talents, the drummers have transformed a local tradition into a global voice, keeping the rhythm of their ancestors alive.
Musicians: Jabbar Lambey on segunda (bass barrel drum); Warren Martinez on vocals, primero (tenor barrel drum), shakkas, turtle shells; Clayton Williams on vocals, segunda, primero, shakkas; and Marcela Torres on additional vocals and claves.
The trifold CD includes extensive liner notes about the artists and Garifuna music.
Executive producer, Dorothy Pettersen
Produced by Jabbar Lambey, Warren Martinez, and Clayton Williams
Recorded at Stonetree Studios, Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize, January 24-25, 2022;
Al Obando, recording engineer
Mixed and mastered by Dave Blackburn at Beat ’n Track Recording, Fallbrook, California.
Designed by Philip Blackburn
Photo Credits: Emerson Baptist, Philip Blackburn, Gary “Bucky” Buchman, Meredith Buchman & Asani Kweli.
Author: Iliana Cabrera
