Paul Nabor (26 January 1928 – 22 October 2014), born Alfonso Palacio, was a

Garifuna The Garifuna people ( or ; pl. Garínagu in Garifuna) are a people of mixed free African and Amerindian ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and traditionally speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language. The Garifuna ...

singer and musician from Punta Gorda,

Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...

. He is often credited with popularizing paranda, a style of traditional Garifuna music, and is considered to have been one of the most talented musicians of the genre.

Early life

Nabor was born as Alfonso Palacio on 26 January 1928. Although official sources list his place of birth as Stann Creek Town (now Dangriga), Nabor told ''

Amandala ''Amandala'' is a Belizean tabloid newspaper. Published twice weekly, it is Belize's largest newspaper. ''Amandala'' was established in 1969 as the print organ of the now-defunct United Black Association for Development (UBAD), but has been poli ...

'' in 2009 that he had been born in Punta Gorda, where he was a lifelong resident. Nabor began singing professionally at 18.Ramos, Adele
"Legendary Garifuna parandero, Paul Nabor, passes at 86"
''

'', 24 October 2014; accessed 22 May 2015.

Career

In Belize, Nabor's best known song was "Naguya Nei," which he wrote in memory of his deceased sister. Fluent in English,

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

and

, Nabor was a popular entertainer throughout Central America. Nabor performed on

Andy Palacio Andy Vivian Palacio (December 2, 1960 – January 19, 2008) was a Belizean punta musician and government official. He was also a leading activist for the Garifuna people and their culture. Biography Palacio was born and raised in the coasta ...

's final album, ''Wátina'', released in 2007. Nabor's music is also included on the showcase album '' Paranda'' on Stonetree Records. He retired from performing full-time in 2009, but played occasionally until 2013.

Honours

On a 2004 visit to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, he was declared a distinguished guest of the city. Nabor was visiting Tegucigalpa for the Honduran release of ''Garifuna Soul'', an album by fellow paranda musician,

Aurelio Martínez Aurelio Martínez Suazo (26 September 1969 – 17 March 2025), professionally known as Aurelio, was a Honduran singer-songwriter and politician. Known for his Garifuna music, he was considered a cultural ambassador of the Garifuna people. Accor ...

Death

On 22 October 2014, Nabor died at Punta Gorda Hospital, following a

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

the week before. He is buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Punta Gorda.

References

1928 births 2014 deaths People from Punta Gorda Belizean musicians Garifuna people Belizean composers Male composers {{composer-stub