Griot, Drum maker, Organic Farmer
“A little bit at a time…small, small. Don’t rush it. Little by little, you’ll reach your maximum potential.”
By: April Martinez
Born on March 19, 1967, Emmeth grew up surrounded by stories, farming, and music. His lineage traces back to enslaved West African who escaped and settled along the Manatee River and the peninsula at Southern Lagoon. From as young as five, Emmeth and his siblings were selling roasted cashew seeds to buy school uniforms, already embodying the self-reliant spirit of his community.
At eight years old, Emmeth picked up his first drum—an art form quietly passed through his family. Though his grandfather never openly taught him, Emmeth later discovered the old man had been a sambai drummer. It was Erwin Vernon, a family friend, who would become his first mentor in both drumming and drum making.
At 13, Emmeth made his first drum from a coconut tree’s cylindrical shell—a moment he recalls with great pride. Today, he is a master craftsman, known for his hand-carved sambai drums, djembes, and brokdong drums which are played in communities and festivals throughout Belize and beyond our borders.
He teaches drum making to those who show real dedication, often young people who linger after class, eager to sand wood or stretch skin. “If I see you [are] serious, I’ll teach you,” he says.
Drumming, a Cultural Identity:
To Emmeth, the sambai and brokdong rhythms are more than music—they are the oral histories of his people. Sambai, a fertility dance traditionally performed around the full moon days, holds deep spiritual and communal value. Brokdong bram, performed during Christmas, brings people on a house-to-house visit, blending music, storytelling, and humor in a celebration of togetherness.
Emmeth carries these traditions with reverence, explaining how each song tells a story. Some are humorous, others are cautionary—but all are rooted in lived experience. In this way, he embodies the West African concept of the griot, or djéli / Jellibah—the keeper of oral history and song.
Drums Not Guns: A Movement for Peace
In response to a tragic wave of gun violence that claimed the lives of several young men from Gales Point, Emmeth launched Drums Not Guns—a grassroots cultural initiative promoting peace through drumming, art, and mentorship. He began working with at-risk youth in Belize City, Punta Gorda, La Democracia, Hattieville, and beyond.
To date, he has taught hundreds of youths the art of drumming and drum-making—skills that require patience, discipline, and cultural pride. His Maroon Kriol Drum School in Gales Point remains the beating heart of his mission.
Pilgrimage to the Motherland
In 2018, a long-held dream came true: Emmeth journeyed to Guinea, West Africa. For six months, he studied under master drummers from the Jubaate family, immersing himself in the rhythms of the Malenke and Susu peoples. There, he was named Pupa Jubaate—a title meaning “elder one with knowledge.”
He describes the experience as life changing. “In Guinea, everything is rhythm,” he says. “They have music for the farmer, the fisherman, even the shoemaker. Rhythm is life.”
Legacy in Motion
Emmeth has performed and recorded with icons like Leela Vernon, Brother David, and the Ebolites; he was a lead drummer for the Ebolites Dance Company. In 1994, he performed in New York and Punta Gorda during cultural showcases. His collaboration on the album Sambai Time helped reintroduce Kriol traditions to a new generation.
But his greatest joy isn’t fame—it’s seeing his students teach others, ensuring that the drums, stories, and songs of his ancestors will echo long after he’s gone.
Credits
- Interview by: April Martinez (Living Heritage Officer)
- History Support: Giovanni Pinelo (Public History Officer)
- Portrait by: Reynaldo Cus (Multimedia Officer)
