New York City Council Members Althea Stevens, Kevin Riley and Rita Joseph led the Festivities and Presented Proclamations to Honorees Wabafu Garifuna Dance Theater, Guildia Lopez and Jennifer Nuñez Palacio
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Copyright 2025 by Teofilo Colon Jr (a.k.a. “Tio Teo”) for Being Garifuna. All Rights Reserved. Contact Tio Teo.
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Manhattan, New York City — On Wednesday, April 16th 2025, The New York City Council Chambers in City Hall buzzed with the rhythms and pride of the Garifuna People during the 2025 Celebration of Garifuna Heritage. This event commemorated the 228 Years since Garinagu were forced into exile from their ancestral homeland of St. Vincent (Yurumein) and The Grenadines to Central America in 1797.
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The 2025 Garifuna Heritage Celebration featured: a rendition of the International Garifuna Anthem by Mr. Pablo Garcia, remarks by elected officials and Garifuna Community Leaders, a performance by Wabafu Garifuna Dance Theater and Proclamations to Distinguished Honorees (of which Wabafu Garifuna Dance Theater was one) of Garifuna Heritage.
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New York City is home to the largest Garifuna Population outside of Central America. This event helped highlight the community’s contribution to New York City public, civic and social life.
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Public Garifuna Heritage Celebrations are held in March and April and have taken place in New York City since 2010, typically at Bronx Borough Hall. In recent years, Garifuna Heritage Celebrations have also taken place at Brooklyn Borough Hall and New York City Council Chambers in City Hall.
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These particular Garifuna Heritage Ceremonies, sponsored by The non-profit organization, Garifuna Coalition USA Inc, are attended by Elected Officials, Garifuna Community Leaders, Garifuna families and are open to the General Public. The Garifuna Heritage Celebration highlights the heritage of the Garifuna Ethnic Group.
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Council Member Althea Stevens, representing the Bronx’s 16th District, opened the event with a heartfelt acknowledgment of the Garifuna’s historical resilience and their significant presence in the Bronx. “The Garifuna add to the culture and beauty of our borough,” Stevens said, while also referencing the community becoming known to the New York City public following the tragic 1990 Happy Land Social Club Fire, which claimed many Garifuna lives.
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The evening included a powerful cultural showcase, as the Wabafu Garifuna Dance Theater took the stage. Founded in 1992 by Luz F. Soliz-Ramos as the Hamalali Wayunagu Garifuna Dance Company, the Crotona-based group performed traditional dances like the Punta and Chumba, accompanied by the pulsating rhythms of Primero and Segundo drums.
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Proclamations Presented to Garifuna Community Pillars
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A highlight of the evening was the presentation of proclamations to three honorees for their outstanding contributions to the Garifuna community. City Council Members Althea Stevens, Kevin Riley, and Rita Joseph presented the awards, recognizing the recipients’ efforts to preserve and promote Garifuna culture.
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- Guildia Lopez — An Event Planner, Entrepreneur and Founder of The Networking and Empowerment Platform, Brothers and Briefcases. Of Guatemalan Garifuna Heritage, This “Garifuna Girl with Big Dreams” is a dynamic force in and out of her Circles of Influence.
- Jennifer Nuñez Palacio — Independent Travel Advisor of Belizean Garifuna Heritage.
- Wabafu Garifuna Dance Theater — Formerly known as Hamalali Wayunagu Garifuna Dance Company and consisting of Garifuna Family Members and Dance Artists and Musicians from the New York City area, this Bronx Based Garifuna Dance Company has been representing Garifuna Culture through Dance and the Performing Arts for over THIRTY Years!!! Represented by Luz F. Soliz-Ramos and assistant director Catherine Ochún Soliz-Rey (Luz Soliz-Ramos’s Daughter), received a proclamation for their decades-long commitment to preserving Garifuna dance and music. The group’s performances, from the Bronx to international stages, have brought global attention to Garifuna artistry.
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The 2025 Garifuna Heritage Celebration was a festive affair, with attendees adorned in traditional Garifuna attire—colorful headwraps, flowing skirts, and beaded accessories. The festiveness as well as the intimacy of this unique event should bode well for future New York City Garifuna Heritage Celebrations as more of the public become aware of them.
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