Culture Is Freedom: Remembering Garifuna Legend Aurelio Martínez
Latino USA
Futuro Media and PRX
4.9 • 3.7K Ratings
🗓️ 13 April 2025
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On March 17, Honduran recording artist Aurelio Martínez died in a tragic plane crash. Aurelio was the voice of the Garifuna people and a fierce defender of their music in culture. Almost two decades ago producer Marlon Bishop became friends with Aurelio, living and traveling with him for several months. He shares the story of their time together.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | When I founded Futuro, I imagined a home for journalism with radical transparency. |
| 0:06.5 | I wanted a newsroom where I wasn't the only Latina behind the mic. |
| 0:12.1 | Now Futuro is becoming a home for more voices than ever. |
| 0:17.9 | Help grow this future by joining our new membership program. You'll get exclusive interviews, |
| 0:24.2 | whole season binges. Behind the scenes, Chiseme, shape the future of storytelling. Join Futuro |
| 0:32.0 | Plus. Visit our website, Futuromediagroup.org slash join plus. |
| 0:38.6 | And not you buy yes. |
| 0:44.4 | Futuro. |
| 0:51.5 | On Tuesday, March 17th of 2025, a small jet stream plane was leaving Roiton Island, a popular destination for divers and beachgoers off the coast of Honduras. |
| 1:06.5 | It was headed to the nearby city of La Seba on the mainland. |
| 1:11.6 | Almost instantly... |
| 1:13.6 | The aircraft crashed into the sea within a minute of taking off. |
| 1:17.6 | After a few seconds in the air, the plane began to nosedive into the sea. |
| 1:22.6 | Witnesses say the plane made a sharp turn to the right of the runway and plunged into the water. |
| 1:28.3 | Local fishermen approached aiming to rescue survivors. |
| 1:32.3 | For 12 of the 17 passengers and crew, it was too late. |
| 1:38.3 | My first thought is that this is fake news. |
| 1:41.3 | And I was like, it's only rumors, it's only rumors. But then the media confirmed it. |
| 1:49.2 | Aboard the plane was Aurelio Martinez, a man who dedicated his life to playing and preserving the music and culture of the Garifuna people. |
| 1:59.2 | Something like this happens and you really see the true nature of the impact that his music had. |
| 2:12.5 | From Futuro Media and PRX, it's Latino USA. I'm Maria Injosa. Today, the life and legacy of |
| 2:19.6 | Aurelio Martinez, a recording artist and star of the Garifuna people. |
... |
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