The Garifuna Music is a rich and creative amalgam of all the cultural traditions to which the Garifuna are heir. 

In addition to the Amerindian and African elements, early French, Spanish, and English folk music contributed to their musical heritage. Other Afro-Caribbean peoples, such as, Haitians, Jamaicans, and Barbadians, have also contributed to the Garifuna musical stock. 

Songs, dances, mime, plays, processions, story telling, and poetry make up branches of Garifuna performing arts. Everyone is encouraged to participate and full time professional “stars”, in the American commercial sense, do not exist. Locally, expert drummers, singers, dancers, and composers are well-recognized and their fame spreads from village to village. Small children perform publicly with mastery rare in cultures where musicianship is considered the special gift of a privileged few. 

Music accompanies all sorts of activities, and song and dance may spontaneously erupt at any time or place--- while riding in cars, working in the kitchen, carrying loads from the brush, or cleaning fish. More often, large groups of Garifuna come together at holidays, social events, and religious occasions, whenever the drums gather them. The audience is usually as active as the dancers. 

Garifuna drums are typically made of a hardwood, such as mahogany or mayflower. Using fire, water, and gouges, the wood, which is hollowed out into symmetrical cylinders. Skins prepared of the peccary (a wild bush pig), deer, or sheep are stretched across one end. Two-headed drums are also known. Thin metal wire or strings are strung across the drumhead to serve as snares. Drums are always played with hands and mallets are not used. Some drums, especially those used in sacred music, are nearly three feet across and create a great humming sound when struck. 

In secular dance music, two drummers are the rule, one the primero and the other designated as segundo. Each drummer plays his own part, with the segundo acting mainly as a steady accompaniment to the more expansive and elaborate cross- rhythms of the primero player. Three large drums are used in sacred music. 

In addition to the drums, Garifuna commonly use rattles. These gourd shakers known as sisira are made from the fruit of the gourd tree, filled with special seeds, and fitted with hardwood handles. Other instruments, such as guitars, flutes, and violin are also found their way in Garifuna music. 

Many hundred songs are known and sung by the Garifuna today. Most songs are accompanied by particular dance forms and drum beats. One class of songs, known as uyanu, is sung without instrumental accompaniment and is gestured instead of danced.

 Lyrical themes vary widely, depending on the type of song and whether it is usually composed by men or women. Many themes concern travel, expressing a desire to leave, or the loneliness of being far from loved ones. Other songs are written to commemorate an event, comment on someone foolish behaviour, or poke fun at some situation. 

New songs are constantly emerging, often coming to the composer’s dream or visions. The Garifuna repertoire includes work songs for men and women, lullabies, hymns, healing songs, ballads, and many types of dancing songs. 

Punta-The most popular dance, performed at wakes, holidays, parties, and other social events. Dancing as couples, men and women try to out do one another with sexy movement and style. Everyone takes a turn and the competitive spirit is high. Punta lyric are usually written by women. 

Hunguhungu- A circle dance which appears to be a secular version of the sacred dancing of the dugu, the Garifuna feast for the ancestors. Drums play a simple three- beat rhythm and everyone sings in unison. 

Combination- An exciting alternation of punta and hungunungu rhythms. 

Wanaragua- also known as John Canoe, this masked dance was once performed throughout the Caribbean at Christmastime, one of the few events during the year when slaves were free to dance and party for an extended period of time. Dressed with fanciful headdresses, knee rattles, and in whiteface, John Canoe dancers would visit the houses of their master and receive foods and drinks in return for riotous entertainment. 

In Belize and other areas of the Garifuna domain, parties of John Canoe dancers roam from houseyard to houseyard, scaring children and collecting payments during the Christmas season. This custom has died out in the rest of the Caribbean.Wanaragua masks were once made of basketry but are now cleverly constructed of metal screen and painted with a stylish face, either male or female. Some costumes include a skirt, completing the female disguise. Wanaragua songs are composed and led by men and danced in a thoroughly African style. 

Abaimahani- This semi-sacred women’s song is sung without instrumental accompaniment. Standing in lines, linked by their little fingers, women gesture rhythmically to a musical form of irregular meter. This song type is clearly derived from the Carib Indian heritage of the Garifuna and is closely related to many Amerindians, and ultimately, Siberian, song styles. 

Matamuerte- This mime-dance depicts a group of people finding a body along the beach and poking it to see if the person is alive, perhaps with too much enthusiasm.

 Laremuna Wadaguman - Men’s work songs, usually sung when men work cooperatively at a strenuous task, as for example, chopping down large trees and hauling the logs downriver and out onto the beach in order to make sailing dories, or canoes.

Gunjai- A graceful, dignified social dance, in which each man dances with each woman in turn.

 Charikanari- In this mimed dance, a hunter meets up with a cave man and a cow.  Sambai- After a short salute from the drum, each dancer jumps into the circle to display some fancy footwork. 

Eremuna Egi- Sung and composed by women for accompanying the tedious work of grating the manioc root to make cassava bread. 

Chumba- A highly accented polyrhythmic song, danced by soloist with great individualized style. This dance is probably related to the chamba found in other parts of the Caribbean where, as in Grenada and Carriacou, some people claim to be descended from the Chamba, a people of eastern Nigeria. This performance includes a wide range of Garifuna music, some of which is rapidly disappearing in many communities.