This morning the Wanaragua Children’s book and exhibition was launched at the Leo Bradley Library in Belize City. Wanaragua is a colorful and vibrant story revolving around the Garifuna Culture in Belize. The authors of the book are Ingrid and Ibo Cayetano and the designer is Mali Cayetano. Ingrid Cayetano was on hand for the launch.
INGRID CAYETANO
“The book is a story on the dance of the Garifuna people called Wanaragua and we have a first book called, We Are Free and this is the follow up book with the same characters in the book. This book depicts the Garifuna culture and the preservation. It’s actually me, my daughter and my son, he is the co-author and my daughter is doing her Master’s Degree and she needed some subject and we came to the same Wanaragua topic because it is one of the most popular dances of the Garifuna people and the most beautiful elaborated costumes and so we continued on the same topic on the Garifuna culture.
The book explains the next adventure of meeting this old lady in the jungle and it was dark; there is this beautiful bird and they are looking for the feathers because the crown of Mr. Cayetano you need these feathers and they are not so easy to find especially in Belize so they had to travel far to see the Arawak Indians because they are part of the Garifuna people and so they went down south to look for the Indians and to get some feathers and they came back to Dangriga to learn the steps and to have a fair at the school and to do the dance.”
Pen Cayetano is an internationally renowned Belizean artist and the husband of Ingrid Cayetano. He gave us his perspective on the Wanaragua dance which is the essence of the book and the related exhibition.
PEN CAYETANO
“Wanaragua book is very important for all of us Belizean people and the Caribbean because Jon-cunu have been dancing all over the Caribbean from the time it was brought from Africa into the Caribbean and they were using this dancing for the Europeans, after crops, after they already made their money then they use our culture, our music for their enjoyment. This traditional dance has been in Africa for many years and it was the dance of the warriors. Before we are transported from Africa to the Caribbean, the dance changed for the benefit of the Europeans and this dance if for only men and it was for the great strong warriors of Africa.”
The Wanaragua children’s book will be sold for 50 dollars a copy at various outlets countrywide.