The Heart of the Art: St. Maarten/St. Martin's Arts & Culture

by Montague Kobbe

If this is your first visit to St. Maarten/St. Martin, surely it didn’t take you long to realize that this island is bustling with things to do and plenty of people doing them. As a matter of fact, in the insular frame of mind that regulates life around these latitudes, St. Maarten/St. Martin is the closest you’ll get to a metropolitan city. Strange as it might seem, however, St. Maarten/St. Martin was not always an important point of reference in the Leeward Islands. 

After Hurricane Donna in 1960, many improvements to St. Maarten/St. Martin’s infrastructure were put in place, including generators to service the island. To say what followed was a boom might be overstating it, but by 1970 the population had doubled and the vast majority of the newcomers were immigrants primarily from other Caribbean countries, especially Haiti. In addition to this influx was a steady stream of North American and European immigrants (especially Dutch) attracted by the burgeoning business opportunities.  

As of 2009, almost 40 percent of the population of St. Maarten/St. Martin was foreign. This was a decrease from the levels between 1992 and 1995, when a majority of the population was registered as coming from abroad. Still, this percentage places St. Maarten/St. Martin among the most demographically diverse territories in the region. These days, over 15 percent of the island’s population is from Haiti, while vast colonies come from the Dominican Republic (close to 10 percent), Dominica (over 5 percent), Guyana and Jamaica.

There is also the statistically “invisible” factor of people arrived from Guadeloupe and other islands formerly part of the Netherlands Antilles (most notably Curaçao), who were not viewed as foreign until recently, but who clearly added to the cultural melting pot of St. Maarten/St. Martin. With representation from anywhere between 70 and 120 nationalities, a tiny island that is nominally split in two is, in effect, split into infinitesimal parts that interact with each other, but may not always create a fully blended mix.

One good example of this is St. Maarten/St. Martin’s English-based Creole, which is spoken by locals on both sides of the island. Largely used as the lingua franca, it still displays important French affectations and has been greatly enriched by Spanish, Kweyol, Patwa and Papiamento, all due to the coexistence of many cultures in a relatively small society where.

A similar blend can be detected in the island’s music scene, where styles that might have been more distinct some decades ago have fused of late. As seen on the platforms of Carnival in recent years, big bands like No Limit to Xplosion have updated the beats to which they lime by transforming the tunes of their soca repertoire and giving them a Latin feel. By infusing the catchy rhythms of merengue and the complex beat of salsa, they’ve produced something altogether different, something that everyone, from the wide-eyed Europeans to the fleet-footed locals, can enjoy.

Photos of writers on the island (courtesy of Carlos Lippal), from left to right:
(Left) Marvin Hokstam, Reinier Heere, Alita Singh, Debby Lind-Steyn and
Will Johnson at the Sonesta Maho Gazebo.
(Right) Fabian Badejo, Lisa Burnett, Paul De Windt, Sanny Ensing, Dana Cohen-Sprott and
Ian Valz at Great Bay Beach.

When it comes to the combination of jazz and soul, St. Maarten/St. Martin has had an admirable performer for over 20 years: Anastacia Larmonie. In the end, almost every style of music in St. Maarten/St. Martin is imported or adapted from somewhere else. What would St. Maarten/St. Martin be without Trinidadian calypso (two great bands are Mighty Dow and Mighty Repeater) or the steel band — a visitors’ favorite often seen in Grand Case on Tuesday evenings — and the sweet concoction of ska with rhythm and blues that is reggae? St. Maarten/St. Martin’s music, like its population, is a wonderful potpourri of various cultures.

And the higher you go up the formal ladder, the less cross-cultural ground you are likely to find. For instance, look at the traditional ponum folk dance, taught at Clara Reyes’ dance school. Considered the national dance of the island, it is said slaves danced these moves to celebrate their emancipation back in the mid-19th century. It would be naïve to believe that the dance has remained unchanged for the past two centuries, and, indeed, Clara herself often encourages her students to develop their own steps and find their own rhythm, as it were.

Other interesting developments on the dance scene include the emergence of a classic Indian dance company, catering predominantly to the East Indian community. As a matter of fact, for the commemoration of India Day in 2010, a concerted effort was made to bring together Indian traditions and more mainstream kinds of celebration into a single event. Somewhat tellingly, the events never fused, entailing instead a round of Kathak dancing followed by a set of jazz. But multiculturalism can also take the shape of parallel communities coexisting side by side until, eventually, they come together.

St. Maarten/St. Martin’s cultural diversification has recently expanded into the realm of literature, where House of Nehesi Publishers, one of the region’s boldest and most active publishing houses, has ventured into unknown territory, promoting and publishing Middle Eastern poet Nidaa Khouri’s latest collection, The Book of Sins. Furthermore, this year’s edition of the St. Martin Book Fair was privileged to host Nobel Prize winner Derek Walcott, who read from his new, award-winning collection of poems, White Egrets. As testament to the recent surge in interest for literature on the island, The Daily Herald newspaper launched a new section in its weekend supplement titled “Summer Readings,” where original, extra-short fiction is published.

Nevertheless, the most developed cultural aspect on the island remains its art scene. From the quaintest designs in arts and crafts to truly innovative techniques, a tour through the island’s creative quarters always bears fruit. The holy trinity of St. Maarten/St. Martin’s artists has not changed in some years, with Roland Richardson featuring as the patriarch of outdoor landscape painting, while Antoine Chapon’s watercolors and Francis Eck’s expressionist technique remain extremely alluring. But the level to which art is developed on the island allows for all tastes and fancies, from Haitian naïve style to the eclectic and fascinating collection of Nick Maley, aka “That Yoda Guy” (just ask him), which encompasses anything from poetry to painting to Star Wars Stormtroopers. Talk about cultural hodgepodge.

For the past 10 years, St. Maarten/St. Martin has been a place in search of its true identity — a place caught in a cultural whirlwind that has left nothing untouched and that is still whirling. That is part of the excitement of living in, and visiting, this wonderful island. So be part of it and enjoy!

Alexandre Minguet: Enthralled by the Light

By Alita Singh

“He fell in love with the light in St. Martin and decided to paint here,” says Catherine Minguet, daughter of famed French Expressionist Alexandre Minguet (1937–1996). His love affair with the light, which he worked tirelessly to capture on canvas, began early on in his boyhood in the south of France. 

For Minguet, St. Martin was only supposed to be a stop on his 1976 summer sojourn, a time during which his galleries in Normandy and Brittany were closed. He spent a month each in Guadeloupe and Martinique before heading here. And it took just a month for him to become enthralled by St. Martin’s light, explains Catherine.

The island’s ethereal light glows in Minguet’s fine, feather-light brush strokes and washes of color that bring landscapes such as Grand Case beach and Marigot to life. The influence of noted French artists Matisse and Dufy shows through in Minguet’s fluid canvases of rich colors and his bold, contrasting lines.

His love for the light led to the opening of Minguet Art Gallery in Grand Case, a locale which became a featured subject in many of his lithographs, pastels, watercolors and oil paintings.

Over 2,000 of Minguet’s paintings are in private and museum collections. Owning an original Minguet is a privilege because Catherine limits the number sold annually as they are her father’s and family’s legacy.

Catherine is the curator of her father’s collection of originals and prints in the Minguet Gallery in Rambaud (00-590-590-87-76-06) and Maho (00-590-690-53-12-64).

Zdenka's Art Box

By Alita Singh

Like the islands in the warm sun, Zdenka Kiric has blossomed from humble beginnings. She biked through Europe, stopping in cities and hamlets to bend wire into intricate works of art. She found the ocean and sailed across, only to meet a fearsome hurricane and become shipwrecked in St. Maarten/St. Martin.

Kiric was meant to be shipwrecked here. She says it's the pulse and the beauty of this emerald isle with rolling velvety hills and azure ocean that captivated her imagination.

From wire bending, she has gone on to become a self-taught fine jewelry designer, whose pieces are only sold in tiny exclusive boutiques in exotic destinations.

Her creations evoke the mystique of the Caribbean. A necklace of rough-cut sapphires finished with pink quartz takes the mind to those moments just before a Caribbean sun slips into the ocean. Fresh water pearls that dangle from stripes of leather make the wearer connect with the beach in such a way that even the frozen tundra can be warmed by a memory. Bits of turquoise dangling from antique clasps sourced from the markets of Africa, Nepal and Bali add flare and history to her pieces.

St. Maarten/St. Martin resident Kiric says her work embodies the Caribbean and its people. Her designs capture their strong essence and determination and the fragility of life—like a row of steady pearls strung with gold. She finds her materials around the world, but no matter the source of the semiprecious stones and gemstones, they must all have the allure of home.

Kiric features her treasure trove of necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets—handmade and one-of-a-kind designs—in her shop, The Art Box in Bobby's Marina.
www.theartboxsxm.com

The Message In The Music
Undisputed Royalty of the Steel Pan, the York family has been playing pan for decades. Learning from his famous father, Chester York, Isidore, better known as the Mighty Dow, has 10 recordings under his musical belt. With his Ebony Steel Orchestra Foundation, he also teaches pan to young musicians. Playing with his brother, Neville, they keep crowds on their feet with their infectious tropical rhythms.

Featuring Isidore York, Connis Vanterpool's Unity CD is a sultry mix of funk, jazz and reggae. The "saxi-est" horn player in St. Maarten, he performs with Blues Inc. at Pineapple Pete's in Simpson Bay.

Remembering calypso as the beat that brought out the dance in him, King Beau Beau was born Leroy Brooks and grew up grooving to the kaiso sounds of the Mighty Sparrow. Today, the reigning Calypso King and his Beaubettes keep fans gyrating at the Oyster Bay Beach Resort.

Anastacia Larmonie shines with her own brand of jazz, soul, funk and folk. A pianist and vocalist, she has accompanied Blue Note singer Denise Jannah and Grammy winner Nestor Torres. "I love to improvise," she says. "I never perform a melody as it is written. I mold it into my own essence that gives it the Anastacia twist." The First Lady of Music is also the creative force behind the children's Qualichi Voices choir and teaches voice and piano to the younger set.

Chester York — St. Maarten's Panman
Chester Alexander York was born in 1944 in a sleepy village overlooking the salt marshes of Philipsburg. Thirteen years later in Trinidad, Winston Spree Simon started making music from steel pan drums. Inspired by the pulsating rhythms of the pan, young Chester joined the Jungle Sparrows, the village steel band that practiced under the tamarind tree. By the early '70s, he was the leader of the Pott Steelers, and the rest, as they say, is musical history. Fifty years later, Chester York is fondly called the Father of Pan—and the subject of the aptly titled book Chester York — Making of a Panman.

A Regal Portrait

By Alita Singh

"She is a very calm person who loves her people," renowned local painter Cynric Griffith said of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands. Beatrix has been queen regnant of the Dutch Kingdom, which includes St. Martin/St. Maarten, since April 29, 1980, when her mother, the late Queen Juliana, abdicated.

Griffith and internationally recognized local artist, Ras Mosera, captured Queen Beatrix on canvas, translating photographs into paintings, in 2001. The portraits were in honor of the Queen's visit here as part of her Dutch Caribbean tour.

Griffith's paintings reflect his serenity and vibrancy. Mosera's work challenges the status quo, provoking heated debates by tackling colonialism, slavery and the Caribbean's obsession with absorbing the outside world.

In their paintings, the artists unknowingly reversed roles: Griffith's evokes shock and awe, with the Queen's features slightly distorted. Mosera's takes the more conventional path.

Mosera, who met the Queen twice, believes he made a lasting impression. "I was waiting to meet her the second time and my eyes locked with hers. There was this look and I knew I was not just another face, another blur in the sea of people she has met."

The paintings, now owned by local collector/historian Jose Speetjens, unintentionally reflect the island's link with its monarch. Some residents embrace the Queen and the island's ties to the Dutch Kingdom. Others want independence.

As the Dutch side prepares to become a country within the kingdom, the monarchy will become closer to the people, providing direct links with The Netherlands while permitting autonomy.

Like Mosera's portrait, the island will be closer to the monarchy than it has been since the Dutch settled here in the 1600s; but like Griffith's, it will have a different kind of distance created by more independence.

Ras Mosera
"In my younger days as a budding Rastafarian, I came across the name Mosera, which means togetherness in Hebrew, and it stuck." Born in St. Lucia with time spent in Guadeloupe, Ras Mosera is one of the most celebrated artists on St. Maarten/St. Martin. The self-taught Expressionist painter not only depicts the island the way he sees it in works like Five Wise Virgins and Domino Players, but he also owns the bohemian Axum Jazz Café in Philipsburg. "My wife was a law student from St. Martin and the reason I came here," he says, surveying the nooks and crannies in his café that are homey perches for his paintings. "But honestly, St. Martin has been good to me as a gateway to multiple worlds."

Working in oil, watercolor and acrylic, Mosera is the acme of the island's artists. "I try to paint in a global way but with a Caribbean perspective." When he's not creating on canvas, Mosera — easily recognized by his long salt-and-pepper dreadlocks — hangs out in his café on Front Street. "I will not say I have a jazz background; maybe a jazzy mind."

His musical influences range from reggae to jazz and can be heard on The Voodoo You Do, a CD he recorded with musician La Vaune Henry. His whimsical paintings fetch up to $10,000 and hang in private collections, galleries and museums.

Antoine Chapon
From his picturesque home overlooking Baie de Cul-de-Sac, Antoine Chapon interprets the Caribbean landscape with delicate watercolors and oils. Born in Bordeaux, he set sail for the Caribbean in 1980 and has since called the tropics home. "I was a photographer in France," he says, gazing at the waves below his window. "But I had a deep feeling to change my lifestyle and live closer to nature."

The island suits his temperament and provides endless inspiration for his work. "Many artists are attracted to St. Martin because of its melting pot and cultural diversity," he says with an elegant French accent. "Seascapes are my biggest inspiration, but I also enjoy studying the dry vegetation along the coast."

Art is a family affair for Chapon, whose wife assists with the frames. His two teenagers, two cats, one dog and 50 sugar birds provide a lively backdrop for his creativity. "Depending on my mood, my work is either abstract or figurative, but the one constant is the inspiration I get from the sea."

Some of his serene reflections of the water are named Rendez-vous Bay, Plage du Galion, and Marigot Morning, and his most popular painting is Robot on the Water. Tourists are welcome to drop by to see him working in his studio. "Visitors always appreciate the relaxing and dreamy style of my work."

Book Fair
Founded in 2003 by the Conscious Lyrics Foundation and House of Nehesi Publishers, the St. Maarten/St. Martin Book Fair is one of the must-see events on the island. Held every June alternately on both sides of the island, the fair attracts bookworms who come for three days of readings, workshops and a chance to meet dozens of authors from around the world. "A record five new books will be released for the first time this year," says coordinator Shujah Reiph, referring to the 2007 event.

Amongst the new crop is Brother Rich, Nana Sweetie — an anthology of short stories, vignettes and poems written by 13 aspiring writers who took part in the House of Nehesi Creative Writing Program. "As its editor," says Rhoda Arrindell, "I am honored to be selected by the Book Fair to represent St. Martin writers." According to Reiph, the event is now gaining the recognition it deserves. "This year we were contacted by tourists from New York and Puerto Rico who are coming in just for the Book Fair," he says proudly. "News about our cultural event is growing here at home and abroad."

Visit www.houseofnehesipublish.com for information on the St. Martin Book Fair 2011.

Steel Pan
One of Trinidad's most treasured traditions, the sounds of the steel pan arrived on St. Maarten/St. Martin in the mid-20th century. It's considered the only acoustic instrument invented in modern times, and contemporary steel bands use 10 different drums to create a range of scales similar to that of a grand piano.

Influenced by the descendants of African slaves who had a history of drum-based rhythms, the evolution of the steel pan began with the rowdy celebrations during Carnival. After animal skin and bamboo drums were banned, steel oil drums were used and from the single note drum, other pans were created that could play full scales.

The steel pan tradition is alive and well on the island, with many musicians incorporating the distinct sound into their repertoire, like Chester York, known around town as "The Steel Pan Man." Full of boundless energy, he's been playing since he was 13, and today—along with his sons Neville York and the Mighty Dow—he continues to wow locals and tourists alike.

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