dinner at the Black Iguana

This past Tuesday evening we held our Tribal Beach Party early in the week. It included dinner at the Black Iguana and the Garífuna show.

Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

tribal night

This evening we had yet another edition of our famous Thursday night Tribal Beach Party, featuring the Garífunas.

Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

more of odeta's eye

Super talented professional photographer Odeta Vaitkunas shared some more photos from her recent trip to Paya. Here are pictures from the Tribal Beach Party on Bliss Beach.

Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

tribal beach party

Last night we held the Tribal Beach Party at the new Black Iguana beach bar on Bliss Beach. Fabulous!

Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

tribal beach party

Some images from last night's Tribal Beach Party on Bliss Beach. This weekly, Thursday night event begins with a "barefoot barbecue dinner" served on tables that sit right on the beach's cool sand. A performance by the Garífunas (see center photos) follows. A mystical seaside bonfire is another highlight of the evening. As the bonfire gently settles into colorful embers, the Milky Way takes over and does its nightly, millennial extravaganza in the sky above the beach.

Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

boom, boom!

A Garífuna beauty at the Tribal Beach Party. We're all Africans! Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

Photo: Lisa Bronkhorst

tribal beach party

The Garífunas perform at last night's Tribal Beach Party. Even though it's a bit dark, I love the colors and textures of this photo.

Running a simple Photoshop filter on it, makes it look like something that belongs in MoMA. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

tribal beach party

The Garifunas perform for our special guests as a bonfire roars in the background. I call it "Broadway on Bliss Beach"! Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

soul vibrating tribal energy

The Garífunas perform at last night's Tribal Beach Party. Like Paya Bay, they only get better. Adelante Victor y compañia!

Note their instruments. These include a turtle shell that is tapped rhythmically with a single drumstick (left), a shaking instrument full of seeds (rear right), and the treble and bass African drums. (Not pictured above are the maracas and a beautiful seashell used as a horn.)

The drums are amazing. As group leader Victor (seated front right with the big bass drum) says, "These drums... they can even wake the dead."

On another occasion, Edison (Victor's brother and a friend; I love his name, because - like me - he was named after a famous historical figure, which, apparently, was the thing to do in the 1970's "hippie" Honduras) holds the musical seashell.  The music of the seashell is primal, haunting, and speaks to the soul.

the spirit of africa

The Garífunas perform at this week's Tribal Beach Party. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

tribal energy

The Garifunas perform at the Thursday night Tribal Beach Party.

Special guest Marcia joins the fun!

beach fire

Guests gather around the beach fire at last night's Tribal Beach Party.

Another angle.

tribal beach party

The Garífunas performed brilliantly at last night's Tribal Beach Party.

the tribal beach party

The Garífunas perform near the plunge pool on Bliss Beach, Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

The famous "punta" dance in full hip gyration.

With African drums, song, and dance, this show is incredibly entertaining.