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local Thursday 22 december 2022
Dande Festival will take place on December 27-29

ORANJESTAD – Dande Fes- the categories of 4-6 years,
tival, a cultural year-end 7-9 years, 10-12 years and
tradition in Aruba, will take 13 to 17 years old. Each
place next week. Commis- category will crown a king
sion for the Celebration of or queen. This will be the
National Days of the De- fourth winner, and each
partment of Culture said category will have either
they are glad to be able two or three places.
to promote the festival this The youth festival will be-
year. gin at 7pm with 7 groups,
and they expect it will finish
The Dande is a local oral around 11pm-12am.
tradition where the song
“ay nobe” (aña nobo) – Finally on the 29th of De-
“new year” is performed as cember the festival for
the New Year is approach- adults will take place, cel-
ing or has arrived. Dande ebrating 50 years in Club
stems from the word Dan- Caquetio. This will begin at
dalia, which loosely trans- 6:30am.
lates into “to party, he who
parties, or simply paranda”. Director of UNOCA, Ray-
The first sentence of the anne Hernandez said that
Dande song “oh dande this year they decided to
nos a jega na bo porta” – partner with the Commis-
Ay Nobe, translated means sion for the Celebration of
“Oh the party has arrived National Days, Department
at your door” – New Year. of Culture and Ministry of
The origin of the Dande is Culture so that togeth-
not known, however there er they can elevate the
are many theories such as; Dande festivals in Aruba.
1. It started in the district of The idea behind this is for
Savaneta, 2. I It started in each of the three festivals
the district of Noord, 3. Its can receive more support
popularity strengthened in than they usually do. “We
the district of St. Cruz, or 4. realized that each year it
It started after the abolition with the Commission in or- the festival. They began Bario Brazil will begin at becomes a challenge for
of slavery in 1863 by the der to elevate the festival at Colegio Cristo Rey and 6:30 seeing as 17 is a large each organization to keep
Dutch King. of Dande. Lyonel Dirks said after the opening of sede amount of groups. They on their own standard at
that after they sat together di bario Brazil, they moved expect to finish around 12- the level expected by the
A group of five or some- with all three organizers, there. This year there will be 1am. Aruban community regard-
times even six people (one being Chico Harms Foun- 17 groups taking part. “We ing show and presentation,
singer accompanied by dation, Children and Youth have to also do it for chil- Aaron Arenas of the Com- but also regarding organi-
numerous musicians) usual- Festival Commission, and dren in Tanki Leendert and mission to Promote Culture zation and logistics. This was
ly performs the most known Big Adult Festival – which we have to see how we’re said that on the 28th of De- a very important reason for
Aruban end of the year tra- are celebrating 50 years of going to do it next year. We cember the festival will take us to support these festivals,
dition. These people, usually their festival – they reached cannot let this slip at any place at the Centro di Bario to maintain the level and to
family members accompa- the conclusion to put all moment, this is ours and we Tanki Leendert for children continue maintaining our
ny a singer and travel door- these festivals together, must carry on”, Harms said. and youth. There will be a Dande tradition,” Hernan-
to-door to express their best but on different dates; this The festival at Centro di total of 20 participants in dez said.q
wishes for the New Year in to give the Aruban com-
repetitive phrases (bless- munity time to celebrate
ings), with a chorus that each festival with its differ-
includes the phrase “ay ent concept while remain-
nobe” (aña nobo) – “new ing within the Dande tradi-
year” – sung after each tion. On the 27th the festi-
blessing. Currently, the val will be at the Centro di
celebratory travel usually Bario Brazil organized by
leads to the houses of the the Chico Harms Founda-
singers’ friends and family, tion. Chico Harms, who was
where the singer collects present at the press confer-
money in his hat to give to ence, mentioned he is very
the group. To read more, happy that this year UN-
please visit https://www. OCA and the Commission
arubatoday.com/culture- for the Celebration of Na-
for-christmas. tional Days came together
to make these activities as
This year, the festival will big as possible.
take place on December
27-29. The Commission in- Regarding their show,
formed that for the first Harms said that because
time, UNOCA will be part of the Covid-19 pandemic,
of this celebration together this is the 53rd edition of