Page 11 - aruba-today-20221230

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local Friday 30 december 2022
Four female monarchs crowned during the Children and Youth

Dande Festival 2022

ORANJESTAD – Last
Wednesday at the Centro
di Bario Tanki Leendert, the
Children and Youth Dande
Festival took place with
the presentation of seven
musical group and 19 con-
testants, who gave their all
on this night to show that
Aruba’s Dande tradition is
still alive.

Dande
The most traditional cul-
tural intangible heritage
Aruba has throughout the singer’s hat is considered by one passes to every per- For more information about Category 7-9 years:
Christmas season is called a sign of respect he/she son present. Besides visiting year-end celebrations in Dande Queen 2022: Kitai
Dande. The Dande is a lo- is expressing to the family local houses on New Year’s Aruba, please visit https:// de Jongh.
cal oral tradition where and person they are sing- Eve and the day after, www.arubatoday.com/ Finalists: Elizee Bislip, Ksijaily
the song “ay nobe” (aña ing to and blessing. Instead the Dande tradition is very culture-for-christmas/ Croes and Jaymerson Kelly.
nobo) – “new year” is per- of money, back in the day, popular on the last work-
formed as the New Year the singer would receive ing day of the year. Local Children and Youth Dande Category 10-12 years:
is approaching or has ar- food (for example pan du- businesses invite a Dande Festival 2022 Dande Queen: Lizienne
rived. Dande stems from shi “sweet bread”) in their group to come and bless Under organization of the Webb.
the word Dandalia, which hat as a token of gratitude their workers and the com- Commission for the Cel- Second Place: John-May-
loosely translates into “to for their long trip. The singer pany as the New Year ap- ebration of National Days nard Wever.
party, he who parties, or starts by blessing the head proaches. of the Department of Cul-
simply paranda”. The first of the house and then one ture, UNOCA and Chico Category 13-17 years:
sentence of the Dande Harms foundation – which Dande Queen: Jorienne
song “oh dande nos a jega organized the Festival itself Angela
na bo porta” – Ay Nobe, last Tuesday at the Centro Second Place: Stephanie
translated means “Oh the di Bario Brazil – the night Quant and Third Place: Re-
party has arrived at your began around 7pm to give anne Ras.
door” – New Year. The opportunity to every partic-
origin of the Dande is not ipant to show their talent. The Commission for the
known, however there are Promotion of Culture sends
many theories such as; 1. The winners were as follow: congratulations to all chil-
Its starting in the district of Category 4-6 years: dren, musicians, typical
Savaneta, 2. Its starting in Dande Queen 2022: Alyna groups, band directors,
the district of Noord, 3. Its Henriquez. composers, arrangers and
popularity strengthened in Finalists: Zaden Werleman the entire family, not leav-
the district of St. Cruz, or 4. and Sophia da Silva. ing out the excellent work
Its starting after the aboli- of the organizing team for
tion of slavery in 1863 by a great event.q
the Dutch King.

A group of five or some-
times even six people (one
singer accompanied by
numerous musicians) usu-
ally performs the most
known Aruban end of the
year tradition. These peo-
ple, usually family members
accompany a singer and
travel door-to-door to ex-
press their best wishes for
the New Year in repetitive
phrases (blessings), with a
chorus that includes the
phrase “ay nobe” (aña
nobo) – “new year” – sung
after each blessing. Cur-
rently, the celebratory trav-
el usually leads to the hous-
es of the singers’ friends
and family, where the sing-
er collects money in his hat
to give to the group. Tradi-
tionally the removal of the