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Umalali the Garifuna Women’s Project – like its predecessor, Watina it has been a fixture at the top of the international world music charts and now after extensive tours in Europe and North America the tour is coming home. Fronted by the five featured female vocalists on the album with back up from an 8 piece band and two special guests, Umalali, like Watina, is more than a concert, it is an event. Two of the stars, vocalist Deseree Diego and drummer Joshua Arana stopped by out studio today to tell us what to expect.

Joshua Arana, Drummer
“Bringing the album home is exciting. Nothing less than exciting because we’ve been touring all over this world and we’ve hardly had chances to express our musical talent with our very own Belizeans.”

Deseree Diego, Vocalist
“I am very very excited to be home performing for my local people and for me, it is a pleasure to be one of the women working the Umalali project so I am very happy to do this.”

Ivan Duran, Producer
“The Garifuna Collective and Umalali have only performed in Belize once. So this is a great opportunity to see these guys and these fantastic ladies with these unique voices singing in Belize. They’ve been touring all over. I believe they did six countries in Europe, they toured North America, the West Coast, the East Coast. Next week the group is going for the first time to Guatemala which is very exciting. So every time they go up on stage, it has been in tribute to Andy. The last tour they did was the Andy Palacio Tribute Tour so of course they played a lot of his songs, a lot of songs over the Watina album.”

Joshua Arana,
“The reception has been great. It is none other man. Being out there and the way the people respond to our music, not understanding what we’re saying, is very beautiful, very beautiful.”

Deseree Diego,
“They have songs like Watina, they have songs like Cabasah. That is the main one that would trip us and that gets me nervous every time I have to sing that song. There are times that I have to either turn my face or bow my head because my eyes are full. I want to cry at that time.”

Joshua Arana,
“Performing without Andy has been, for me it has been difficult because Andy and I were very close. Being on tours we used to be hang out buddies so being without him has been, it has been real hard for me personally.”

Ivan Duran,
“Like Joshua was explaining, it has been very challenging without Andy to carry on. Everything was pretty much centred on him. He was carrying the band on his shoulder so to speak and it has been very difficult, mostly emotional. Emotionally it has been very challenging for them to continue. But at some point we will have to continue with what we do and new songs will have to be composed, new songs will have to be performed and new artists will have to come to center stage. So I think this show at the Bliss is the start of that process.”

The concert is set for 8:00 pm on Saturday night at the Bliss Center. Tickets are still available.