Traditional music
In Honduras, one of the most visible (and audible) traditions is that of the Garifunas, one of the country's largest Afro-descendant ethnic groups (celebrated every April 12 during the Garifuna Festival). One of the pillars of its culture is punta, a style that combines West African and Amerindian rhythms and relates the daily problems of the community through songs accompanied by percussion, xylophones and wind instruments. A style that has evolved over time, now embracing the codes of pop and rock.
The city of Trujillo best illustrates this tradition, and more specifically the Barrio Cristales district, which was home to the Garifunas when they first arrived.
In Honduras, while it's fair to say that the group Banda Blanca - with its hit Sopa de Caracol, a blend of Garifuna and punta music - is one of the country's musical entities that has best resonated abroad, other artists dominate the domestic market (and the hearts of Hondurans). These include Guillermo Anderson (who died in 2016), a guitarist with a deep concern for the environment who was one of Honduras' most beloved musicians, and Javier Monthiel, who dabbled in all styles (bachata, merengue, romantic variety, etc.), which undoubtedly made him one of the most important figures in Honduran music.
Current music
Honduran music and dance are marked by the cultural influence of Cuba. As in the rest of Latin America, reggaeton (or "regueton") is a key genre in Honduras. Born between Panama and Puerto Rico, this derivative of Jamaican ragga is much more than a simple "Hispanicization" of dancehall: it's a style (and a world) of its own, with its own codes. A universe that has seduced Honduras and been embodied by artists such as Cruzito and Menor Menor.
The hip-hop, rap and R&B scene is also well developed in Honduras. It is a direct descendant of salsa, merengue and reggaeton, and reflects the various American influences that arrived in Honduras in the late 1990s.
Dance
Although punta is a musical art form, it is above all a dance form. It is performed by a couple moving in a circle formed by the other dancers or spectators. The movements mime the way a man and a woman court each other, looking for each other and running away from each other, until one of them gets bored and leaves the dance floor, making way for another couple.
Other traditional styles maintained by the Garifuna community have also made a name for themselves, such as parranda, dugu and wanaragua (danced by men in women's costumes, symbolizing war and African heritage). The country also boasts hundreds of traditional dances, divided into three main families: Creole, indigenous and Afro-Caribbean. The most common are sique, rascado, zapateado or cruzado, polcas, vals and marchas. The art of malido wanaragua, somewhere between dance and theater, also features masked dancers enacting a battle.
On the whole, the patron saint festivals and carnivals of each city are the best opportunity to get close to these colorful and festive demonstrations of Honduran dance. Of course, there's the Carnaval & Feria Isidra de La Ceiba, around May 15, in honor of the patron saint, San Isidro Labrador, the country's main carnival (over 500,000 visitors every year!), but there's also the Carnaval del Jamo d'Olanchito, commemorating its patron saint, San Jorge, the Carnaval & feria juniana in San Pedro Sula or the Feria patronal de Santa Rosa de Copán.
Theater
In the 18th century, as various cultural currents took shape in Honduras, a theatrical movement also emerged: known as la pastorela, it first came to life in 1750 with a performance of Luis Vélez de Guevara's "Diable Cojuelo" in the town of Comayagua. The momentum was there, and a theater was built to accommodate the ever-increasing number of works. In 1915, the Manuel Bonilla National Theatre was completed. Not only theater, but also opera (including zarzuela, typical Spanish lyrical theater) and dance.
Among the best-known authors of pastorelas are José Trinidad Reyes, Ramón Amaya Amador, Tito Ochoa and Rafael Murillo Selva, whose works are still widely performed.
