Episode 7: The Garifuna Experience in NYC: A Destination Brand

In this episode, host José Francisco Ávila unveils the ambitious strategy to brand New York City as the global epicenter of Garifuna arts and culture. Going beyond tradition, Ávila details the journey from his early efforts to promote Garifuna identity to the creation of a comprehensive cultural tourism plan.

Discover how the historical landmark of "The Drama of King Shotaway" and the Garifuna Coalition's iconic yellow, white, and black branding form the foundation of this innovative initiative. Ávila also explores the vital role of the NYC Tourism Foundation grant, the development of the GarifunaExperience.com website, and the launch of the @garifunaexperience social media channels.

Tune in to learn how this initiative is poised to drive prosperity, power, and progress, inviting the world to experience the vibrant Garifuna community thriving in the heart of New York City.

Resources:

The Garifuna Experience in NYC 

The Happy Land Memorial Walking Tour 

Books by José Francisco Ávila

Pan-Garifuna Afro-Latino Power of Pride: My Quest for Racial, Ancestral, Ethnic and Cultural Identity

Garífuna Ancestry: The DNA Quest to Decipher the Garifuna Distant Past

Transcript

Jose Francisco Avila (00:04.558)

Music!

Jose Francisco Avila (00:11.734)

Welcome back to the Garifuna Experience Podcast. I'm your host, José Francisco Avila. Today, we are not just telling stories. We are creating a new chapter.

We are going to dive into how Garifuna culture, recognized by UNESCO as a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity, is being transformed into a powerful tourism destination right here in New York City. Get ready to explore how we're driving prosperity, power and progress in the Big Apple. Let's begin.

In our previous episodes, we've explored our rich history from the drama of King Shotaway to the Garifuna Heritage Month. Today, we're shifting our focus to a tangible strategy, a vision to position New York City as the undisputed epicenter of Garifuna arts and culture. 

My quest to build this brand started back in 1988 when I first recognized the power of our Garifuna identity. My early efforts like the USA Garifuna newsletter in 1989, the Intercontinental Garifuna Summit meetings in 1991 and 1992, the Garifuna World website in 1996, the first website dedicated to the Garifuna culture.

 and the first Garifuna Music Awards in 1998, where all steps towards transforming our intangible heritage into tangible opportunity. In February 2008, I embarked on a deliberate strategy to create a powerful Garifuna brand. First, I drafted and submitted the Garifuna Coalition USA Inc.'s proposal to then Bronx Borough president, the Honorable Adolfo Carrion Jr.

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to issue a proclamation designating March 11 to April 12 of each year as Garifuna American Heritage Month beginning in 2009. The proposal was an integral part of our efforts to raise awareness about the Garifuna community in New York City and promote the self-determination and unification of the New York Garifuna community.

by nurturing and promoting the Garifuna culture and identity in New York City. The brand was a distinctive design incorporating the iconic yellow, white, and black colors of our flag. The goal was to inspire every Garifuna person in New York City to embrace their identity with pride. The branding first showcased in the Garifuna Coalition USA Inc 2008 yellow, white and black fundraising gala in November of that year. In 2009, I contracted a graphic designer to create a logo for the Garifuna Coalition USA Inc. by superimposing the word Garifuna with the coloring scheme. The branding was a success and has been imitated across the Garifuna diaspora, upscaling the vision.

By 2014, my vision had grown even bigger to definitively position New York as the global hub for Garifuna arts and culture. As the cultural capital of the world, New York City has the unique privilege of hosting one of UNESCO's original masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity, our very own Garifuna culture.

 New York City's cultural institutions have long been an integral part of the fabric and identity of the city and an enormous draw to visitors. The goal is to leverage New York City's allure of the cultural institutions. To achieve this objective, I designed a series of logos, including an NYC Garifuna Arts and Culture logo,

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as well as a series of strategic brands to represent the Garifuna culture in New York City. A key feature is the coloring scheme, yellow, white, and black, and most importantly, include the word Garifuna. For example, Garifuna Cuisine, New York City Garifuna Arts and Culture Festival, New York City Garifuna Film Festival, to create a unique position of the New York City Garifuna Arts and Culture Destination brand in the consumer's mind. The tagline for this position was NYC loves Garifuna Arts and Culture. Production of upscale performing arts events around New York City. A key part of the vision was to produce upscale performing art events around the city as an integral part of our market making initiative.

which served the marketing needs of the Garifuna Arts and Culture cluster, along with the development and implementation of a strategic marketing program designed to draw city-wide audiences into the Garifuna Arts and Culture sector by positioning New York as the epicenter of the Garifuna Arts and Culture. The musical tribute concert to Aurelio Martinez on Saturday, March 14th,

2015, we produced a musical tribute concert celebrating Aurelio Martinez 30th anniversary of his legendary musical career at the Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture as part of Garifuna American Heritage Month in New York. Aurelio was the greatest international exponent of the Garifuna tradition and music. The 2016 Garifuna Music Awards, the 2016

Garifuna Music Awards were held on Saturday, March 12 at the Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture in the Bronx. Garifuna Music's biggest night aimed to promote professional excellence, a better understanding and greater appreciation of Garifuna music and to provide a public forum to recognize the artistic efforts of Garifuna songwriters, performers and musicians.

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The Garifuna Music Awards showcased the diversity of the Garifuna music industry, from traditional, contemporary to urban. More than just an award show, the Garifuna Music Awards had the power to influence fans, artists, fashion, social media, and music sales. The historical foundation and the tourism plan.

This vision isn't just about the future, it's deeply rooted in our past. For nearly 200 years, Garifuna heritage hasn't reached this city. The first African-American play, the drama of King Shotaway, written and staged in 1823 by William Henry Brown, was a historical drama about the Garifuna people. This historical landmark

is a powerful asset serving as a core driver for our new destination brand. The entire initiative is now a formal cultural tourism plan produced by the Garifuna Coalition USA Inc. We define cultural tourism as the motivation to learn, discover, and experience the unique cultural attractions of a destination. 

With a vibrant community of over 250,000 Garifuna residents in New York City, primarily in the Bronx, we have something unique to offer that cannot be experienced anywhere else outside of Central America. This plan, which was completed in December 2022, is our roadmap for making it happen. The Garifuna Experience in NYC, our brand in action.

Our efforts are already being recognized and supported in 2023. The New York City Tourism Foundation approved our Borough Cultural Tourism Grant application for this very initiative. The mission of this foundation is to support arts and cultural organizations that make New York a special and exciting place to visit. This funding is helping us launch

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a new brand system with a comprehensive visual identity, a new website www.garifunexperience.com and a strong social media presence. The brand is inspired by both Garifuna culture and New York City itself, using the distinctive yellow, white and black of our flag alongside the vibrant hues of Liberty Green and New York Yellow Taxi.

The website is your essential guide to all things Garifuna in NYC. Its purpose is twofold. To vividly market Garifuna entrepreneurs, connecting them directly to visitors and helping them thrive. To integrate our business into the city's tourism corridors.

ensuring our community benefits from the economic growth of tourism. Our goal is to encourage visitors to explore beyond the traditional tourist hubs and experience our vibrant neighborhood. The content will heavily focus on showcasing the diverse and thriving Garifuna-owned businesses throughout the Bronx and New York City in general. We are launching new social media handles

at Garifuna Experience across all platforms. And we invite you to engage with us using the hashtag the Garifuna Experience NYC. Representation and the power of the podcast. All of this work is rooted in a fundamental understanding. Identity matters. A strong group identity provides an invaluable sense of belonging and representation.

Our strategy is designed to create a powerful position for the Garifuna brand in the consumer's mind with the tagline, NYC loves Garifuna arts and culture, driving cultural tourism and economic prosperity through authentic Garifuna narratives. The Garifuna community represents a uniquely vibrant and dynamic thread in the rich tapestry of New York City's cultural fabric and identity.

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As the largest population outside of Central America, this community offers an enormous untapped draw for visitors seeking authentic and immersive cultural experiences. The Garifuna Experience Destination brand is conceived as a powerful strategic initiative perfectly aligned with New York City Tourism and Conventions core mission. By meticulously

crafting and promoting this distinct cultural offering. We aim to maximize travel and tourism opportunities throughout all five boroughs, build sustainable economic prosperity, and spread the dynamic diverse image of NYC around the world. Through compelling audio storytelling, the podcast will illuminate the profound contributions

rich traditions and contemporary life of the Garifuna people, making their heritage accessible and appealing to a wider audience. Our vision to boldly establish the Garifuna destination brand as an unmissable cultural pillar within New York City, solidifying its place as the undisputed edge and cultural capital of the world.

We envision a future where Garifuna heritage is celebrated as a key attraction enriching both residents and visitors. Our mission to leverage the transformative power of cultural tourism as a catalyst for growth, expanding Garifuna businesses and fostering equitable, sustainable economic prosperity within the community. To cultivate community resilience

and cultural pride through immersive tourism experiences, ensuring mutual benefit for both residents and visitors to safeguard and celebrate the unique Garifuna heritage, inspiring connection and understanding on a global scale. Overarching theme, Garifuna's driving prosperity

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power and progress. This theme encapsulates our commitment to showcasing how the Garifuna community, through its rich culture and resilience, is not only preserving its past, but actively shaping a vibrant future for itself and for New York City. The podcast will be a central vehicle for telling this powerful story. Finally, this podcast is a crucial part of our strategy. We launched it to extend our reach beyond physical events, provide in-depth content on Garifuna culture and heritage, create a platform for Garifuna voices and stories, and attract a wider audience to our cultural tourism initiative. By strategically integrating this podcast,

We are amplifying our message, engaging a wider audience and creating a legacy. The Garifuna Experience in NYC is a celebration and a movement. It's our way of saying, we are here, we are vibrant, and we are an indispensable part of what makes New York truly exceptional. And that wraps up another illuminating episode of the Garifuna Experience. Today we unveil

the comprehensive vision behind our platform and how it's our strategic vehicle for ensuring Garifunas are driving prosperity, power and progress by fully participating in New York's vibrant cultural economy. Thank you for listening. And remember, the future of the Garifuna people is in our hands, and we are driving power, prosperity and progress. Until next time.

Stay United, Stay Proud, Sungubay Lida Aba. Ayo! Don't forget to follow, subscribe, rate and review the Garifuna Experience Podcast, wherever you listen. Your support helps us share this vital Garifun Experience, our stories and our culture with even more people around the world.

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