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Music genre

Punta

Punta is a music genre that emerged in Belize and Honduras in the 1970s. It is usually classed as a form of music of the Caribbean. Explore key artists and related styles.

Listen: Punta examples

Punta
0:02CC BY-SA 4.0by Luce VERGNEAUXWikimedia Commons
0:02

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About Punta

Punta is a music genre that emerged in Belize and Honduras in the 1970s. It is usually classed as a form of music of the Caribbean.

From Wikipedia

Punta is an Afro-indigenous dance and cultural music of the Belizean, Guatemalan, Honduran and Nicaraguan Garífuna people, originating from the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (also known as Yurumei). It has African and Arawak elements which are also the characteristics of the Garífuna language. It is also known as banguity or bunda.

The diaspora of Garífuna people, commonly called the "Garifuna Nation", traces its ancestry back to those West Africans who escaped slavery and the Indigenous Arawak and Kalinago peoples. Punta is used to reaffirm and express the struggle felt by the indigenous population's common heritage through cultural artforms such as dance and music; to highlight their strong sense of endurance; and reconnect to their ancestors. Besides Honduras, punta also has a following in Belize, Guatemala, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and the United States.

Genre family tree

Parent genres (↑) and subgenres (↓) of Punta.

  • ↑ music of the Caribbean

Frequently asked questions

What is Punta?

Punta is a music genre that emerged in Belize and Honduras in the 1970s. It is usually classed as a form of music of the Caribbean.

Where and when did Punta originate?

Punta originated in Belize and Honduras in the 1970s.

Sources & credits