Themusic of the former Netherlands Antilles is a mixture of native, African and European elements, and is closely connected with trends from neighboring countries such asVenezuela andColombia and islands such asPuerto Rico,Cuba,Santo Domingo,Haiti,Martinique,Trinidad,Dominica, andGuadeloupe. The formerNetherlands Antilles islands ofCuraçao andAruba are known for their typicalwaltzes,danzas,mazurkas and a kind of music calledtumba, which is named after theconga drums that accompany it.
The remaining islands are much smaller than Aruba,Bonaire, and Curaçao. They areSint Eustatius,Sint Maarten andSaba. Sint Eustatius has little nightlife, with only one nightclub (thezouk Largo Height Disco)[1] as of 1996. The inhabitants, "Statians", hold impromptu street dances called "road blocks", using booming car stereos. Saba has a number of dances at various restaurants, including a wide variety ofhip hop,calypso,soca,kompa,zouk,bouyon,reggae andmerengue. Sint Maarten has a well-knownCarnival tradition featuring music and dance, held in mid-April and culminating in the traditional burning ofKing Moui-Moui, as well as a number of nightclubs and casinos featuring music; popular "spots" where locals go to dance include Boo Boo Jam and Lago Height, both located on the northern (French) part of Sint Maarten; the most popular recent casino band isKing Bo-Bo, known as the "King of Calypso".[2]
Music is very closely connected to the Aruban culture, and plays a major role in holidays, carnivals and informal celebrations. Carnival music originated in Trinidad in the late 18th century, and combines romantic themes, calypso-inspired tunes, and drums fromtumba. Other Aruban celebrations that are based around music include Dera Gai, Dande, Gaita and Aguinaldo.
The island of Bonaire is known for an array of dances, including theBari andSimadan. Importedpolka,carioca,rumba,merengue,danza,joropo,jazzwaltz andmazurka are also popular. TheBaile di Sinta is a popular fertility dance, performed around amaypole. Traditional Africanwork songs on Bonaire evolved over time into ritual songs with complex dances, instrumentation and polyphony.[3]
The Bari, performed during the festival of the same name, as well as at other times, is led by a single singer who improvises lyrics commenting on local events and figures (such a singer is similar to acalypsonian). Confusingly, the Bari dance, which is performed during the Bari festival, is accompanied by abongo-like drum called a Bari. The first part of the dance features men competing in a stylized,ritual dance for women, followed by a part where the couples dance, though they don't touch (it is similar to tumba).[3]
After thesorghum harvest in February through April, theSimadan festival is held to celebrate, with thewapa, a rhythmic, shuffling dance, accompanying the celebration. Simadan's traditional songs include threecall-and-response forms, theDan Simadan,Belua andRemailo. These use instruments including the bari,wiri,karko,quarta,guitar,triangle andclapping.[3]