As the global music landscape continues to evolve, small nations across the world are redefining their cultural sonic identity by blending time-honored traditions with cutting-edge contemporary styles. In Belize, a groundbreaking new concert tour called Rising Riddims is doing exactly that, answering a long-simmering question: what does the future of homegrown Belizean music sound like?
Scheduled across five of Belize’s most populous communities through September 2026, the free tour has already drawn enthusiastic crowds in San Ignacio and Dangriga, with the third stop set for Orange Walk on the evening of September 18, and a closing finale planned for Belize City on September 20. Organized under the National Institute of Culture and History’s (NICH) Belize Music Project, the tour showcases a roster of some of Belize’s most exciting emerging talent: indie singer Viv, powerhouse vocalist Mocha, rappers TY Rome and Vince the Prince, among other contributing artists.
At its core, the Rising Riddims project is built on a clear creative mission: to honor Belize’s rich musical heritage rather than abandon it, crafting an original, modern sound that is still unmistakeably rooted in Belizean identity. Deron Thompson, producer with the Belize Sound Syndicate and lead creative behind the tour, explains that the team has developed two distinct new subgenres for the project, both adapted from classic Belizean styles. The first, Expunta, fuses traditional punta rhythms with experimental elements drawn from house music and alternative genres. The second, Boom and Chill, reworks the beloved traditional boom-and-chime sound for 21st century audiences. “We kept the core instrumentation that defines these traditional styles,” Thompson notes, explaining that the team recorded samples using original instruments including the ding-a-ling, jaw bone percussion, and a historic boom drum crafted by renowned maker Mr. Peters. Over these traditional foundations, they layer modern chord progressions, drawing influence from dancehall, reggaeton, and other global popular genres to create a sound that feels both familiar and new.
Seth Cambranes, an artist also known professionally as Flayed Lotus, highlights the range of talent featured on the tour. From San Pedro-based indie rock rising star Viv, who has already built a loyal regional fanbase, to Mocha, whose dynamic, powerful vocal delivery has wowed early crowds, the lineup spans multiple genres. When working with TY Rome and Vince the Prince, Cambranes explains, the team was able to rework the artists’ original tracks with custom boom-and-chime and punta edits, weaving traditional Belizean elements into their already well-crafted work to deepen its cultural roots.
Kristopher Arnold, a recording and mastering engineer with Belize Sound Syndicate, says the project’s potential is what has kept him invested from the start. “This isn’t just a one-off tour,” Arnold explains. “I truly see this music taking Belize’s entire music industry to the next level. It has the potential to establish a completely new, globally recognizable genre that puts Belizean culture on the international map.”
For music fans across Belize, entry to all remaining shows is completely free. The Orange Walk performance kicks off at 7 p.m. local time at the Banquitas House of Culture, followed by the Belize City closing show at the city’s House of Culture the next evening. The project represents a growing movement across small cultural communities to preserve heritage while nurturing the creativity of young artists, ensuring traditional culture continues to evolve and resonate with new audiences.