Arts & Culture

On Monday, May 23rd, the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) unveiled plans for a two-day international music and food festival, which aims to showcase local and international musical artists as well as Belize’s exceptional cuisine. The launch took place this morning at the Biltmore Plaza Hotel in Belize City and was attended by key players in the music industry, including well-known local artists and DJs.

The last time Houston, Texas-based artists Alex Roman Jr. (donkeeboy) and his mother Sylvia Roman (donkeemom) visited San Pedro Town was in November 2021, when they gifted La Isla Bonita with two colorful and unique murals. Both paintings beautify the exterior wall of a warehouse building on Seagrape Drive. Sylvia depicted the late Selena (Queen of Tejano Music), and Alex gave life to his masterpiece, the late American rapper and actor Tupac (2Pac) in Picasso-style. Months later, they returned to San Pedro and brought two additional artists. Together, they have added four more beautiful murals to the island, highlighting Belizean culture, creativity, pride and promoting hope, peace, and love.

The Programme Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity, implemented by UNESCO and funded by the European Union, has joined hands with the Goethe Institute and the Centre for InterAmerican Studies at the Bielefeld University in Berlin to strengthen the international market exposure of Caribbean hip-hop artists. To this end, it has launched a call to sponsor the participation of up to three music projects of the genre in the International Festival and Symposium "Re-inventing Europe from the Caribbean. Urban Cultures, Translocal Identities and Social Movements in the Black Atlantic", which will take place in Berlin, Germany, from 28 to 31 July 2022. 

History serves as an opportunity to travel back in time and explore past events about a settlement, a region, or a country. Belizean history is rich and diverse, highlighting different past events across the country. However, there are many questions about specific chapters of the Belizean society. Have you ever wondered how San Pedro Town on Ambergris Caye transformed from a quaint fishing village to the prime tourism destination it is today? The answer to clear such curiosity is by visiting the recently opened San Pedro Tourism Information Center on Angel Coral Street across from the Saca Chispas field, where you can find the book ‘San Pedro History of Tourism.’ This unique and well-documented history of the island was penned by well-known islander Guillermo ‘Mito’ Paz, and it can be yours for just BZ$30.

Easter is considered the holiest time of the year. In San Pedro Town, the Roman Catholic Church takes pride in celebrating the occasion honoring the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This year, besides their scheduled church activities, one of the main events held on Good Friday, April 15th, saw the first-ever reenactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the island with an evening procession through downtown, which later ended at central park.

World Monuments Fund (WMF) announced that the Lamanai Archaeological Reserve and its wider Cultural Landscape has been named to the 2022 World Monuments Watch, a selection of 25 heritage sites of worldwide significance whose preservation is urgent and vital to the communities surrounding them. These sites powerfully demonstrate pressing global challenges of climate change, imbalanced tourism, underrepresentation, and recovery from crisis, underscoring the need for greater action to support heritage places and the people who care for them.

The traditional island celebration, 'El Gran Carnaval de San Pedro,' did not include big parties, street dances (comparsas), and painting because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of these usual activities lasting three days every year in February, the carnival spearheaded by The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) turned into a market day on Saturday, February 26th, with live performances, including a round of comparsas dances. 

On April 1, 2022, Belizean archaeologist Dr. Jaime Awe will receive the Society for American Archaeology 2022 Award for Excellence in Latin America and Caribbean Archaeology. The award recognizes and honors professional achievements at all career levels, including students and early career archaeologists, to those who have made lasting contributions to the Society for American Archaeology.