Cayo Scoop! The Ecology of Cayo Culture

The Garifuna Collective represented Belize in Canada, again, when they played with Danny Michel at the Panamania concert in Toronto.  Looks like everyone had a great time.  

"The shows with the Garifuna Collective were a blast.  Welcome on board Sheldon!.  A great hang with my Belizean brothers again.  Thanks to everyone who made it possible.  Until next time"

Feelgood news of the day. Rotarians from Canada that partner with the Belmopan chapter came back to check up on and fix the playground that they originally put in at Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Thanks, Rotary!

"Recently Rotarians from Canada returned to repair playground equipment that they initial brought from their home country.  Some local Rotarians helped as well...great for our fellow Rotarians from Canada to come back to make sure that the equipment is in good shape!"

Danny Michel has his 10th album out, and once again it was inspired by Belizean music.  This time, he recorded with the Garifuna Collective in Benque.  In some of his previous music videos, you can see how he incorporates his visits to Belize into them.  

See him on Youtube with the Garifuna Collective: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZUs1KwTd4s

"Black Birds Are Dancing Over Me is a collaboration with Benque Players and the indigenous music of Belize’s Garifuna Collective.  It was recorded and produced at the Stonetree Records studio of Benque Players’ Ivan Duran.  It’s in the creative mode of Simon’s Graceland, the famous 1986 collaboration with South African and New Orleans zydeco musicians.  But Michel’s album is far more personal...  The result is a wonderful blend of Michel’s folk style and Latin rhythms.  He plans to bring Benque Players north in the summer to do folk festivals in Canada."

The Belize Jaguars will be travelling up to Canada this week, and then they'll host Canada next Tuesday in Belmopan.  They have a great video out hyping up the event.  Go Belize!

"It's the first day of September and we all know what that means - it's celebration time in BELIZE! And what better way to kick off than cheering on our Belize National Team as they travel to Canada for round 3 of competition as they battle for a spot in the 2018 Fifa World Cup Russia.  Join us in sending your well wishes for their success! Good luck Jaguars! We know your CONFIDENCE, COMPETITIVENESS and COMMITMENT will bring us yet another win!"

There was a flash mob in Cayo!  The Rotary Club of San Ignacio and the Rotary Club of Red Deer in Canada, along with a little help from the San Ignacio Public Library and some Sacred Heart primary school students, celebrated Children's Month, and headed to the Cayo Welcome Center for the performance.  Rotary also had one in Belmopan with the St. Martin's Primary School students.  It's all part of their Literacy Alive project.

The SIPL also teamed up with tourism students at SHJC for the Art in the Park day.

"Sacred Heart school participates in flash mob to encourage reading to keep literacy alive.  thanks canadian rotary and SHPS in making the library a part of this event."

The Cayo Welcome Center came alive Friday night, when a jazz orchestra from Devon, Canada filled the stage, and played some classics for a few hours.  The orchestra was great, everyone had a fun time, and there was even some dancing going on.  The group has been in Corozal setting up a jazz program.  After the music, a couple of fire spinners from Portugal wowed the crowd by playing with fire.  Thanks, Rotary, for making this happen.

http://www.devondispatch.ca/2013/12/09/devon-locals-to-start-jazz-program-in-belize-this-february

The University of Belize is launching the Institutional Partnership Component of the CARICOM Education for Employment Project this Thursday at 9:30am at the Central Farm campus.  It's a huge 3 year project that supports agricultural development all over Belize, and Cayo especially.  Thanks, Caricom!

"The three-year $1.63M/BZ project, funded by the Canadian government through the Canadian International Development Agency ($0.88M), a consortium of Canadian Community Colleges ($0.47M) and the University of Belize ($0.28M), is part of a Canadian initiative to support regional education and agricultural development.  Its primary goal is the promotion of regional economic growth through training a competitive labour force that can respond to growth opportunities in various sectors.  The project is designed to strengthen the program at the University’s Central Farm Campus through the establishment of a competency based curriculum that is responsive to the needs of local industry.  The UBCF program also seeks to encourage students to pursue opportunities to for self-employment."