Delvin “Pen” Cayetano, artist and musician, was born in 1954 in Dangriga, Stann Creek District, Belize. He began painting in the late 1970s using his favorite medium of oil on canvas with genres of modern art and contemporary realism, studying with fellow artist Benjamin Nicholas. His paintings have been exhibited in the USA, Great Britain, Italy, Taiwan and the Caribbean.

His musical influence came from master drummer Isabel Flores and building on a foundation of songs in Garifuna, he started the Turtle Shell Band in 1979. In 1981 Pen Cayetano created the Punta Rock, which is a combination of cultural Garifuna music with elements of the modern Rock music. There is an interesting anecdote concerning the origin of Punta Rock. It is said that the inspiration came when Pen observed some younger fellows being rude at a ceremony to honor Thomas Vincent Ramos in 1978. Mr. Ramos was the Garifuna gentleman who had convinced the Government of Belize to celebrate Garifuna Settlement day, November 19, in honor of the arrival of the Garifuna to Belize in 1802 and 1832. It seems that the unruly young men were singing songs in Garifuna with a worldly rhythm. Pen built on that foundation to create the "Turtle Shell Band" in 1979. Punta Rock caught on and raged throughout Belize during the 1980s and afterwards, although most people do not know about its genesis. Among his famous songs are Uwala Busiganu, Goubana, Mishunali Bun, Huya Ma Balice; there are many more.

Pen and his wife, Ingrid, moved to Germany in1990 where he taught art and Garifuna drumming and dancing. They returned to Dangriga in July 2009 and they opened the Pen Cayetano Studio Gallery in August 2009. Art exhibitions, performances with the family band, The Cayetanos, painting lessons, art and craft, textile, drum and other workshops, are offered at the studio, Pen and Ingrid working together. The family band includes their three children, Malí, Beni, and Ibo, and the band carries on Pen’s musical traditions.

Murals are another medium on which Pen has concentrated. In November 2012 he unveiled his highly ambitious and extremely well executed piece entitled “Hayawadina Wayunagu” (Imagery of our Ancestors) at the Town Hall in Dangriga. In 2013 he followed with the mural “The original Turtle Shell Band, 1981” at his studio.

“Pen and Ingrid consolidated the grounding of their children in Garifuna music and painting. As a result, Pen was able to keep his growing family anchored within the matrix of Garifunaduáü (Garifunaness). With the formation of the family band, The Cayetanos, he built the next generation of himself within his children. Not many artists accomplish this feat of self-regeneration and Pen has certainly done so quite well. This again is a mark of the true and universal artist.” J.O. Palacio, PhD, June 16, 2013

Ingrid Cayetano, originally from Germany has a unique method of presenting ideas in her needle paintings. From 1976 to 1980 she was enrolled at the School of Applied Science for Art & Design in Cologne and accomplished her degree in Liberal Art. She experiments and combines old techniques with new materials. The art is seeing old paintings in a new life-form, modelling portraits and figures with many threads and colours. The fabrics tell a story ´painted ´with thread and needle.

Her art-form Needle painting was mostly practised in a castle and monastery and convent in the 18th and 19th century Europe and it was a highly artistic way of doing embroidery. Different coloured cotton and silk threads were used and with fine varied stitches mostly floral and natural ornaments and topics were designed. The main skill was lining up of the shades and colours, which gave vitality and brilliance to the embroidery.

Her various subjects are cultural, emotional and mostly realistic. Creations are inspired and linked to the artist’s surroundings for example mother and child scenes, portraits - especially extraordinary women, presentation of cultural and historic subjects like dances, rituals and craft. Since 1978 she has been doing performances and exhibitions in Germany, Europe and abroad. She is a mother of three kids (Malí 1984, Beni 1986 and Ibo 1989) and a member of the family band “The Cayetanos” and assistant teacher in Afro-Caribbean drum and dance workshops. Ingrid now makes her needle painting pieces in Dangriga. Besides being an artist, Ingrid Cayetano is the coordinator, manager, mother of three and also a member of the family band “The Cayetanos”. Along with her son Ibo she wrote the children book stories “We are free” and “Wanaragua” which were illustrated by her daughter Malí. Designing and decorating clothes is one of her passions.

Under her brand 'Ms Ingrid' she offers various homemade food products. She also produced the Dangriga map with her son Beni who did the design.

In 2008 she and husband Pen Cayetano opened the Studio Gallery where they offer events, tours, workshops for art and music.

Since 2009 she is the curator for LUK Ya – Women in Art event at their Gallery for female artist from the region. She shares her art with younger children and adults who attend her training classes at the Pen Cayetano Studio Gallery. She also presents her artwork in exhibitions all over Belize and abroad. Ingrid keeps the ‘strings together’, writing, documenting and managing the work and achievement of her husband Pen Cayetano. What she hopes is that many more young folks from all over Belize would open up themselves to the opportunity to learn this art-form from her and produce their own pieces and enrich the world of arts in Belize.

To Contact Pen and Ingrid:

E-mails: info@cayetano.de or ingrid@cayetano.de

Whats APP: +501 628-6807 

Website: www.cayetanos.com 

               The website is currently unavailable, but should be available in just over two weeks.

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• © Jabiru Books Belize LLC
• Newsletter # 006
• February 3, 2023