Dangriga’s Hanigi Wagübürigu wins the 17th Battle of the Drums

The seventeenth Battle of the Drums competition was held over the weekend, in Punta Gorda Town, Toledo. It was the first time since 2019 that the weekend-long event was held in a face-to-face setting. It featured four main events: the Battle of the Drums- Food and Fete, the Battle of the Drums Competition, the Garifuna Music Festival, and the Love FM Paranda Show. A total of nine teams each comprised of 6 members faced off for the title of Masters of the Garifuna Drums. President of the Battle of the Drums, Darius Avila, explained that the festivities are held each year on the weekend prior to the 19th day of November to highlight the Garifuna culture and heritage. 

Avila further explained that the festivities sought to showcase various aspects of the Garifuna culture to retrieve and preserve the heritage of the people. He also spoke about the night’s culminating event, the Garifuna Music Festival.