Where the Arts Shine: St. Maarten/St. Martin's Arts & Culture

by Melanie Reffes

A spirited cornucopia of writers, artists and musicians do St. Maarten/St. Martin proud. A treasure trove of artistic expression, the dual-nation island is a multicultural mosaic, reflected in the creativity of its many painters, pan players, poets and performers.

The Stroke of a Pen
Some of the island’s most talented artists make a living setting words on paper. As founder of House of Nehesi Publishers, co-founder of the St. Martin Book Fair and author of 13 critically acclaimed books, Lasana Mwanza Sekou is a national treasure. His book The Salt Reaper has been recorded on CD in a musical collaboration with digital artist Angelo Rombley. It marks Sekou’s 30th year as a published poet. “The selected pieces were recorded during my participation as a fellow in the International Writers Workshop at the Hong Kong Baptist University in 2004,” he says. “The CD was released in 2009 and combines steel pan, Latin, jazz, R&B, electronic, classical, world music and Afro beats into a world-music sound.” New on the horizon for this champion of the arts is a documentary about ponum, the island’s oldest known folk dance, and a cookbook of cherished recipes from Yvette’s, a cozy eatery in the French Quarter.

The first woman on St. Martin to publish a volume of poetry, Ruby Bute is also an extraordinary artist with a new studio in Friar’s Bay called the Silk Cotton Grove Art Gallery. From paintings of Carnival to soothing depictions of old homes and expressive faces, to her collection of poems called Golden Voices of S’maatin, this multitalented artist embodies the heart and soul of St. Martin.

A jack-of-all-trades, Fernando Clark is the island’s very own Philosopher of Humor. Making comedy CDs and entertaining the crowds during Carnival are his signature gigs; however, this busy guy also hosts a radio show, anchors the local TV news and is a big hit at comedy clubs around town.

From producing concerts and directing videos to hosting the popular radio program Culture Time, Fabian Adekunle Badejo is a true original. A former Nigerian diplomat, Badejo is also an accomplished author with several titles to his credit, including Salted Tongues: Modern Literature in St. Martin and Claude: A Portrait of Power, which profiles island politician Dr. Claude Wathey and is now in its second printing.

Born in Rotterdam, Drisana Deborah Jack grew up in St. Martin, where she wrote The Rainy Season, her first book of poetry. She’s the recipient of many honors for her paintings, photography and poetry, and was a fellow at the prestigious Caribbean Writers Institute at the University of Miami. Her art is exhibited worldwide while her poetry, including her second volume, Skin, has been published to critical acclaim.

To mark Ian Valz’s 25th anniversary in theater, his poignant play Two in a Hurricane was performed at a drama festival held in his honor. His prolific portfolio includes Panman: Rhythms of the Palms, about the life of a steel-drum-pan player, which was the first Hollywood feature shot entirely on the Dutch side of the island.

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.

A Musical Ear
Then there are those who reign through music. In his new tune “Change,” Leroy “King Beau-Beau” Brooks sings about America’s first family and encourages islanders to listen to President Obama’s message of change. The reigning calypso king has been a musical mainstay for decades, and along with his Beaubettes, he performs during Carnival and at the Oyster Bay Beach Resort.

A graduate of the Berklee College of Music, Anastacia Larmonie is a passionate performer with a jazzy repertoire of soul, funk and folk. She has lent her golden voice to tunes recorded by Grammy winner Nestor Torres, and enjoys teaching voice and piano to young performers.

For decades, the York family has been delighting crowds with their steel pan playing. Known as the Father of Pan, Chester York is a national hero who passed the steel pan tradition to his sons Isidore, better known as the Mighty Dow, and Neville, who recorded the pan classic Jazz Flamboyant.

The “saxiest” horn player on the island, Connis Vanterpool is also one of St. Maarten’s most talented musicians. With his own band, Blues Inc., Vanterpool performs at Pineapple Pete’s, where he recorded his live CD. When he’s not on stage, he’s paying it forward by offering workshops for aspiring musicians across the island.

A Keen Eye
The locale’s tropical environment is a haven of creative inspiration for painters. A master of the plein air style for more than 40 years, Sir Roland Richardson marries pulsating colors with ever-changing nuances of light in his vast portfolio of impressionist work. His Leonardo da Vinci-like beard and wide-brimmed felt hat are easily recognizable—while his unbridled talent is undeniable. His paintings of landscapes, ruby-red flamboyant trees and magical sunsets have earned him a lifetime achievement award from both the French and Dutch governments. Art appreciators are invited to experience creative talks with Sir Richardson while observing him painting on location.

Originally from Alsace, France, Francis Eck draws on the sea for his artistic inspiration. With exhibits in the Beach Plaza Hotel in Marigot and The Cliff in Cupecoy, his interpretations of the Caribbean are collected by art aficionados worldwide.

A stylistic counterpart to the abstract art of Francis Eck, Antoine Chapon renders the island from his studio overlooking the serene Cul-de-Sac Bay. Born in Bordeaux, he uses a paintbrush and palette to create masterpieces like Rendez-vous Bay and Robot on the Water that depict his love affair with the sea.

Ras Mosera was born on St. Lucia and today creatively interprets the human condition from his studio on St. Martin. His sophisticated and sometimes controversial paintings reflect the Caribbean the way he sees it. When he’s not painting, Mosera can be found at his Axum Café on Front Street, hosting reggae storytellers, poets and other musicians.

Turning trash into art is what makes the work of Melissa Kolbusz unique. A Chicago native, her one-of-a-kind jewelry, sold through her company Wired Resistance, is crafted from alternator wires, car parts, bike chains and labels. “I use recycled, surplus, salvaged and reclaimed materials,” she says. “My most popular is the Chaos bracelet, which is made from recycled semi-truck alternator wire that I found in a metal salvage garage.”

With French Provençal roots, Dona Bryhiel expresses herself through her brightly colored ceramic spoons, bowls and plates, on display at her gallery in Oyster Pond. Her oil paintings of parrots and pelicans and depictions of strong Caribbean women have earned her legions of admiring fans.

The work he calls Salt Pond with Egrets is crafted from sand on canvas, and is one of the many creations of eclectic artist Alain Chayer. His astute observations of life on the island can be seen in his photographs, sculptures, drawings and paintings—including his stunning portrayals of three women: Carla, Carmen and Camilla.

Galleries and Museums
The island also holds treasures for visitors who love museums and galleries. The Dutch Gallery is “the real McCoy” for blue and white Delftware from Holland, and has recently expanded with the work of other artists like Debbie Cerwin, who creates porcelain bowls that double as teapots. “Tourists treasure art long after the sand is out of their shoes,” says owner Barbara Keyzer, showing off a lacquer plate made for Queen Wilhelmina in 1923. “I priced it high—but if a serious buyer has $18,000, I’ll sell it.”

Ebony ornaments and furniture made from African omo wood are some of the treasures in the Ikemba African Art Gallery in Philipsburg. Owned by Nigerian-born Michael Maghiro, the gallery also sells masks, drums and clothing, and is popular with tourists interested in the island’s African connection. Also on Front Street, Le Saint-Geran Gallery encourages curious browsers and serious shoppers to peruse the work of more than 50 artists, including Patrick Poivre de la Freta, who studied with Salvador Dalí.

Master goldsmith Hans Meevis uses ocean-blue larimar stones and ebony to create his signature pieces of jewelry. His dolphin rings and titanium disks with white gold maps of St. Maarten are popular with tourists who stop by his design studio in Simpson Bay.

Nick Maley (aka The Yoda Guy), the special-effects creature-builder for the Star Wars films (he created the little green puppet with the big eyes and pointed ears) runs the Planet Paradise Gallery and Museum. “Our exhibits tell the inside story of Star Wars, like the six people who operated Yoda and the five folks who played Darth Vader.”

Romare Bearden, a renowned American collagist, and Alexandre Minguet, one of the great French painters of the late 20th century, fell in love with St. Maarten. Their work was forever influenced by island life. Minguet’s daughter, Catherine, has many of his originals on the island, as well as lithographs, at the Minguet Art Gallery in Rambaud and the one in Maho, which is open in the evenings. “He captured the island’s landscape at a time when she was most beautiful, and his work serves as a history lesson on how the island was,” says Catherine. There are prints, postcards and a famous collection of posters, which are now collector’s items.

On the east end of Front Street, St. Maarten Museum traces island history through exhibits and maritime models, including a three-masted warship that sank in 1801. On the French side, St. Martin Museum reopened in the former prison in Marigot, with more than 20 tons of artifacts found during digs that have been ongoing for more than a century.

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 2008.

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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