Yesterday the book launch of Quito Nicolaas’s Papiamento novel Sombra di recuerdo [Shadow of Memories] was a success.
A double celebration on that day. It was a celebration of a decade that the Papiamento language became an oficial language on the island of Aruba. But also a celebration of the tenth book in the oeuvre of this Aruban writer.
An entertaining evening with speakers on the history and the struggles the Papiamento language went through to get recognized.
An analysis of the message Quito Nicolaas conveys in his work. A sneak peek of the novel Sombra di recuerdo. Readings of the new novel. And music of words all around.
Angelo Tromp of the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba in The Hague opened the event ‘Nos Idioma, Nos Cultura’ giving an introduction on the meaning of May 21rst for the Papiamento language. This day is also the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 2002.
Collection of old books in the Papiamento language. A treasure of words.
Linguïst Henry Habibe giving an insight on the struggles of the Papiamento language through history and reciting some of the powerful poems of poets defending the language on a literary level.
Cultural Anthropologist dr. Francio Guadeloupe gave an insight how to interpret the work by the author Quito Nicolaas.
‘As a “changing same”(a repeating question, but every time on just in a slightly other way) is presented to us then we’ll sing along and begin to dance. Class and ethnicity than do far less to it. Nos ta baila. We jammin. If like dancing the oldest form of thinking is — a pattern with renewal, losing your habitual sense of self to find yourself and the World renewed and transformed — then let’s think like a dancer.
Only in this way can we understand Quito Nicolaas.
The work of Quito Nicolaas — Bos pa Planta, Atardi di Antaño, Gerede Twijfels, Verborgen Leegte— I interpret as a literary tune. It is a changing same. If he does it in prose or poetry form, his oeuvre is an invitation to reflect on the question: what do we share? What do we share as citizens of the Kingdom of The Netherlands? What we continue to share even if we call ourselves Aruban, Antillian or Dutch? What do we share despite the fact that we’re born dark brown, light brown or have a pinkish skin color?’
Read his introduction further on in the next post.
The young talented poet Natusha Croes of HALA in Holland (a poet collective of Aruban students in The Netherlands) read a fragment of the book. A section where the friends were nearly on the brink of unvailing part of a secret, but silence stood in their way.
Quito Nicolaas talked about the setting of the book in a village of San Nicolas in the 70s and gave some spicy insights of the book that shook the audience awake.
Next the novel Sombra di recuerdo was presented to the Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba in The Hague Edwin Abath, who received it with much proudness and satisfaction. It’s the third book during his term that is presented to him by the author. For sure a productive writer.
A succesful ending of a delightful literary evening.
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