04/11/2021
Garifuna Artist of the Day.
Clayton Williams.
Clayton Williams is a musician, singer, songwriter, percussionist and guitarist. At 28 years old, he is the new voice of Garifuna Music, and the youngest Parandero.
At the age of 7 he started his musical journey, playing Garifuna drums at the Lebeha Drumming Center in Hopkins, Belize. UNESCO has declared Hopkins as a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity. Hopkins is one of the few villages in Belize, where young children still learn the Garifuna Language as their native language. Clayton’s fluency in the Garifuna Language, drums and the Garifuna stories that make up the lyrics to his songs, are a living testament to that assertion.
Since then Clayton has followed in the footsteps of the renowned Paranderos of the Caribbean Coast of Central America, including his great grandfather, the legendary Gabaga Williams, author and composer of the classic Garifuna song, Malati Isieni (Worthless Love), perhaps the most well-known Garifuna composition and has been described as one of the greatest Garifuna composers of all time. Clayton has lived most of his life in Hopkins, teaching and promoting the Garifuna Culture to tourists and children.
In 2016 at the Garifuna Music Awards Clayton’s debut album “Garifuna Nuguya” (I am Garifuna), took top honors for:
*Song of the Year
*Album of the Year
*Best New Artist
*Best Music Video
Clayton has and continues to headline many concerts and festivities in Belize and USA and Central America. He is viewed by many as excellent cultural ambassador.
Lookout for lyrics from his 1st album Garifuna Nuguya which will be shared here on GariLyrics.
The following information was extracted from claytonwilliamsmusic.com with permission of the artist.