Including tracks by Punta Rebels, Mohobub, Chico Ramos, Andy Palacio, Supa G, Titiman, Aziatic, Paula Castillo, Punta Cartel, Ugurou, Nuru, Griga Boyz, Aurelio y Los Bravos del Caribe and Lloyd & Reckless, Punta Paradise is the ultimate Belizean dance album. The songs on this first Punta Paradise volume have been carefully selected to introduce the listener to the infectious, danceable sound of punta rock, a music genre based on the traditional Punta beat of the African-Amerindian Garifuna people of Caribbean Central America. Strongly rooted in West Africa, with call-and-response chants sung primarily in Garifuna, Punta Rock mixes modern and traditional instrumentation including turtle shell percussion and the indispensable primero or lead Garifuna drum, played with such dexterity that it breathes life and energy into the music. The typical Punta Rock dance is about male and female interaction. Sweating bodies surrounded by the aromas of smoke and booze in dimly lit dance clubs, grinding to the pulsating beat with varying degrees of physical expression ranging from the merely suggestive to explicit pelvic gyrations and physical contact. When Punta Rock took Belize by storm in the 1980s, it became an instant dance craze, Punta rockers became immediate celebrities, each identifiable by a distinct trait and style. Mohobub was smooth and rootsy. Titiman Flores offered social commentary with his lyrical delivery. Chico Ramos was the high-flying, Jankunu-dancing entertainer and Andy Palacio became the herald of Punta Rock anthems. In the late 90's, Punta Rock had a major transformation which was reflected in many ways including the uses of languages, acceleration of tempos, vocal harmonies and band lineups. Punta Rock had crossed the Bay of Amatique from Belize to Guatemala and Honduras and it later found a place within the Garifuna communities in New York, where the highly energetic band "Garifuna Kids" added a much faster tempo to the music. Meanwhile, back in Belize, Punta Rebels took on this new influence and made it all their own, sporting not only one lead singer, but a trio (Supa G, Lloyd & Reckless) on the front line in typical "boy-band" fashion. Punta Cartel, based in Los Angeles, has remained true to the Central American sound, while Paula Castillo (the most popular female singer and one of very few women in commercial Garifuna music) reigns on the East Coast of the United States. Nuru and Aziatic, both based in Los Angeles, and make frequent pilgrimages to their native Belize to record and to perform. Their sound reflects their Belizean origins but is also infused with modern pop sensibilities acquired from their new West Coast environment. Punta Paradise represents the diversity of Punta Rock, but these tracks have one thing in common. They are guaranteed to make you move.