Monday, November 30th, 2015. Chrisbert Garcia Reporting: Belizean artists; there are so many of them with talents parallel to those of any international artist, but the fact of the matter is that most Belizeans would rather support a 
Jamaican or American artist before attending the concert of an up and coming local singer, rapper or musician, despite the uncontrollable foot tapping and waist swaying they might experience when overhearing a Punta tune or a catchy Hip Hop beat made in the bedroom of a talented young Belizean with make shift equipment.
The imagination would run wild if we sat and thought about the possibilities of Belizean youth from Punta Gorda (PG) to the ends of Corozal, North, South, East and West of our beautiful jewel, having sufficient support and access to professional equipment, which could potentially propel our great nation’s music industry to new, greater heights.
We have seen a few of our artists make it big onto the international stage; so few that we can probably count them on our hands, but why is that so? Do we not have talented Belizeans? Are Jamaicans more talented than us, since we adore their music? Or is it that we simply are affected by the “crab ina bucket syndrome”?
There are Belizean artists making their own songs and producing beats countrywide and that includes the so called “forgotten district”, Toledo, where a small group of young men with a passion for music and the vision of Belizeans supporting Belizeans for the greater good of our country, have recently reunited to produce sensational music in different genres. The latest work coming from that group, called ‘Fireside Records’, is a song entitled, ‘Them call it Punta’ done by PG rapper, Tariq ‘Big Riq’ Avilez.
The song is a step away from the hip hop tracks Avilez and Fireside usually produce but it has been garnering interest on the music streaming site, Soundcloud, and is looking to become another Fireside hit, like the recent “Summer time” song they created which you may have heard, since the group traveled across the country performing it to receptive audiences.
Just like many other Belizean artists, Avilez, despite his talents, finds it hard to get adequate exposure but he says determination pays off and along with his team, he will continue to put out quality music with positive messages for whoever feels like listening.
Avilez’s song can be heard on Soundcloud by clicking this link: https://m.soundcloud.com/ariqigiqvilez/them-call-it-punta