Franz Ferdinand performs at the Fox Theater in Oakland on April 28, 2014. Roman Gokhman/STAFF. This is the fourth in a five-part series. Read how I’m scoring my list and find out about my “special consideration” acts in PART 1, the runners-up in PART 2, and 15 through 11 in PART…

Garifuna Collective and Danny Michel perform at Brick and Mortar in San Francisco on Aug. 7, 2013. Roman Gokhman/STAFF. Seven years after the death of its leader, the Garifuna Collective from Belize remains on track, with new recordings and a concert tour that brings the group to San Francisco…

Garifuna Collective, courtesy. Andy Palacio was one of the most interesting musicians I’ve spoken to. I was interested in his Central American culture and people, the Garifuna, because I previously traveled to Honduras and Belize several times. The Garifuna are an indigenous minority, the descendants of African slaves who…

Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective, courtesy. This story originally appeared in the Oakland Tribune. The Caribbean music community and the country of Belize lost an icon this week after Garifuna singer and punta musician Andy Palacio died after a series of strokes and heart attacks. He was 47.…

Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective, courtesy. This story originally appeared in the Oakland Tribune. It’s a bad sign for a touring musician when, going through customs in a foreign country, the customs agent does not recognize the state seal on his passport.  Just like a popular slogan in…