This Event will include a Posthumous Tribute to Garifuna Singer Songwriter Aurelio Martinez.
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Copyright 2026 by Teofilo Colon Jr. (a.k.a. Tio Teo) for Being Garifuna. All Rights Reserved. Contact Tio Teo.
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Bronx, New York — New York City Non-Profit Organization, Casa Yurumein (a.k.a. Hondurans Against AIDS Inc) with the expressed Sponsorship of United States Congressman, Ritchie Torres present, The 2026 Chatoyer Awards, where Men of Garifuna Heritage will be recognized, celebrated and honored for their Historic Leadership and Accomplishments in their respective fields.
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Ritchie Torres has served as a United States Congressman for New York’s 15th Congressional District since 2021.
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Congressman Torres chairs the Congressional Garifuna Caucus and has also spearheaded efforts to establish National Garifuna Immigrant Heritage Month in April.
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Before becoming a United States Congressman, he served on the New York City Council from 2014 to 2020.
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If you have found anything this INDEPENDENT Platform, Being Garifuna, has Published, Shared, Promoted, Posted, etc, over the last 15 Years Helpful, please consider Donating to this ongoing Being Garifuna Gofundme Fundraising Drive and support this experiment in Independence.
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ABOUT The 2026 Chatoyer Awards
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Established in 2024, The Chatoyer Awards recognizes, celebrates and honors Men of Garifuna Heritage.
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Last Year, The 2025 Chatoyer Awards were announced as part of the Events taking place for 2025 Garifuna Heritage Month, but ultimately didn’t happen. I don’t know why The 2025 Chatoyer Awards didn’t happen.
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Five Men of Garifuna Heritage are scheduled to be honored at The 2026 Chatoyer Awards.
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They include: Felix Gamboa Valentin, Dr. Walter Miranda, Carlos Humberto Gotay Sanchez, Oscar Perez and Andony Castillo Perez.
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The 2026 Chatoyer Awards will take place on SATURDAY, April 18th 2026 at 7pm at:
Fordham University — Keating Hall
2635 Bathgate Avenue
Bronx, NY 10458
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BUSES: BX 9, BX 12 and BX 22, to East Fordham Road and Bathgate Ave in the Bronx.
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ABOUT Dr. Walter Miranda
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Educational Advances
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Dr. Walter Miranda Sabio is a distinguished Jurist, Academic, and Current Magistrate of The Supreme Court of Justice of Honduras, with more than two decades of experience in the legal field. He is from Trujillo, Colon, Honduras and is 52 Years Old.
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Throughout his career, he has combined professional practice, the judiciary. and university teaching, establishing himself as a reference for integrity, excellence and commitment to the formation of new generations.
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His solid academic preparation and participation in international forums reflect his vision of a modern, humane justice system aligned with the highest standards.
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ABOUT Felix Gamboa
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Musical Innovation and Preservation of the Garifuna Language
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Felix Gamboa Valentin, originally from the Garifuna town of Santa Rosa de Aguan, Honduras, is a singer, composer, dancer and choreographer recognized for his outstanding career in the promotion and preservation of Garifuna Culture.
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From a young age, he showed his artistic talent, beginning his musical career at an early age and later developing in New York as part of important cultural groups like the pioneering New York City based group, Wanichigu Dance Company, where he became a principal dancer and vocalist.
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As a musical leader, he has produced multiple albums and hits that have contributed to spreading the Garifuna Language and identity on an intentional level.
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In 2009, he founded the Chief Joseph Chatoyer Dance Company, known as the Folkloric Ballet of New York, with the purpose of preserving and transmitting Garifuna culture through, music, song and dance.
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Over the years he has also served as a Cultural Mentor to the Contestants of Casa Yururmein’s annual Miss Garifuna Cultural Pageant.
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ABOUT Carlos Humberto Gotay Sanchez
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Leadership and Defense of the Garifuna Community
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Carlos Gotay, originally from Puerto Barrios, Izabal, Guatemala, is a recognized Garifuna Leader with a distinguished trajectory marked by community commitment, cultural identity and a vocation of service.
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In the time that I have known Mr. Gotay, I have noted his advocacy for the Spiritual Practices of the Garifuna People. In particular, Catholic Garinagu.
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In 1986, he was co-founder of the Yurumein Organization in New York, promoting unity and representation of the Garifuna people in the Diaspora. He also promoted spaces for cultural promotion and the use of the Garifuna Language.
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His leadership has transcended the organizational level, strengthening the spiritual, cultural and community dimension of the Garifuna people both in New York and in Livingston, Izabal, Guatemala.
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ABOUT Oscar Perez
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Environmental Sustainability
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Originally from the Garifuna Town of San Antonio, Honduras, Oscar Perez is a committed leader dedicated to the development and well-being of his community, both in his country of origin and in the diaspora.
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For more than two decades, he was an active member of the board of directors of the Hometown Association, San Antonio in New York, contributing to important community advances and social impact projects.
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Currently, he holds the title of lifetime member of the Pro-Improvement Committe of San Antonio, Colon, serving as a reference for guidance, mentorship and constant support.
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ABOUT Andony Castillo Perez
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Innovation in Garifuna Historical Knowledge and Preservation
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Social and Cultural Anthropologist originally from the Garifuna village of Cusuna, Honduras; with more than 15 Years of experience in research and management of cultural policies at the International Level.
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Specialist and Collaborator on Projects with organizations like UNESCO, UNDP, IDB, and USAID, he has worked alongside indigenous and Afro-descendant communities promoting cultural preservation and community participation.
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Author of Books and Academic Papers for various Universities, his work has significantly contributed to the knowledge, documentation and safeguarding of the historical and cultural legacy of the Garifuna People on a global level.