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Well Wishers visit Andy Palacio s Myspace page and leave your

Summary: Well Wishers visit Andy Palacio s Myspace page and leave your comment Visita la pagina de Myspace de Andy Palacio en estos momentos de oracion y deja tu comentario   Click on the picture Pincha la foto   Belizean Musician Andy Palacio Passes Away After Heart Attack and Stroke January 19 2008 Andy Palacio an iconic musician and cultural activist in his native Belize and impassioned spokesperson for the Garifuna people of Central America was declared dead tonight at 9pm Belize time due to a massive and extensive stroke to the brain a heart attack and respiratory failure due to the previous two conditions Palacio 47 started feeling poorly last week and eventually visited a doctor with complaints of dizziness and blurred vision On the 16th of January he began experiencing seizures and was rushed to a hospital in Belmopan Belize and then on to another hospital in Belize City At this point most people were hopeful Palacio would recover On January 17th Palacio s condition worsened and he began experiencing more seizures He was placed on an air ambulance to Chicago where he was expected to get treatment at one of the premier neurological facilities in the country En route to Chicago the plane stopped in Mobile Alabama to clear immigration At that point Palacio was unconscious and it was determined that he was too ill to continue on the flight to Chicago He was rushed to a hospital in Mobile and placed on life support There doctors determined that the damage to his brain function was severe and that his chances of recovery were slim On January 18th his family requested that he be flown back to Belize so that he might die in his homeland A national hero in Belize for his popular music and advocacy of Garifuna language and culture news of Palacio s condition sent shockwaves through the community At 5pm today a public service was held in Belize City for Palacio as people prayed for his recovery Ceremonies were also held by Garifuna spiritual leaders in an effort to help with the situation Belize is in the midst of a heated election but the local news was entirely dominated by Palacio s health crisis The reaction has also been strong around the world Until the recent turn of events the past year had been one of tremendous accomplishment for Palacio as his album Wátina which was released at the beginning of 2007 had become one of the most critically acclaimed recordings of the year in any genre Perhaps the most unanimously revered world music album in recent memory Wátina appeared on dozens of Best of the Year lists in major media outlets around the globe and was roundly praised in glowing terms In 2007 Palacio was named a UNESCO Artist for Peace and won the prestigious WOMEX Award Wátina was also nominated for the BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards At home in Belize the international success of Wátina has sparked a revival of Garifuna music as young musicians have become inspired by Palacio s example Even in the days since Palacio s health crisis began the accolades have continued to pour in for his work That Palacio has been struck down at a moment of such international acclaim only increases the sense of shock and tragedy felt at his sudden and untimely death Andy Palacio will be honored with an official state funeral A massive tribute concert is planned in Belize City on Friday January 25th

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