Page 16 - AHATA

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local Thursday 3 July 2025
The legend of the Kibrahacha tree

(Oranjestad)— As the cli-
mate begins to dry up here, Aterima wasted to time and
the Kibrahacha is ready to went to go fetch Kudawe-
bloom. Known locally for cha. Upon telling Kudawe-
its bright, yellow flowers, this cha that her father was sick,
special tree only blooms for he immediately accompa-
three to four days only. Sci- nied Aretima back to her hut,
entifically known as Tabe- where he encountered her
buia billbergii, and in English father in a bad state. Not will-
as the Yellow Poui, this tree ing to waste any time, he told
is native to the Caribbean is- Aretima that the only thing
lands of Aruba, Bonaire and that can cure her father is
Curacao, and is considered a home-made potion made Aretima, just as determined hut, Aretima’s mother quickly
among locals as one of the out of the Kibrahacha flower. to save her father, didn’t made a tea out of the flow-
most spectacular trees on only one among its neighbor- At the time the Kibrahacha hesitate to start. ers and gave it to her sick
the island. But did you also ing trees to start blooming was not yet in her blooming husband. Miraculously, after
know that the beautiful yel- first. season, but the stubborn Ku- To her surprise, every time just one sip of the tea, the
low flowers have a story be- dawecha was determined she plucked a thorn of the father’s fever left his body im-
hind them? The legend of the Kibraha- to bring back Aretima’s fa- tree, a bright, yellow flower mediately, and he opened
cha ther back to health, and so bloomed in its place. The eyes and sprung up feeling
The Kibrahacha is said to Written by Hubert (Lio Booi) off they went to the nearest thorns were hard to pluck new.
have extremely hard wood— Kibrahacha tree. out, but Aretima continued
so hard that it can break an One day Aterima, who lived plucking with enthusiasm The next morning, they all
axe. In fact, that’s what its west of the hill Sero War- When they arrived at the and wonder at the unfold- visited the same Kibraha-
name means in Papiamen- awara, woke up one day to tree, they saw that it was ing sight before her. Not too cha tree that saved the life
to: “kibra” (break) “hacha” find her father sleeping in his covered head to toe in long after she was able to of Aretima’s father and they
(axe). The flowers bloom hammock, suffering a bout thorns, with only a few closed fill her entire satchel with the saw another miracle. The
around April and May, but of terrible fever. Her mother flowers at the very top. Ku- yellow flowers. Kudawecha, tree was covered again in
this only last for about three was very worried, and as was dawecha, experienced satisfied to see Aretima so the same bright, yellow flow-
to four days, as the flow- the custom in the olden days, veteran in all things Aruban happy and encouraged ers, with not a thorn in sight.
ers start to fall off and the asked Aterima to go fetch flora and fauna, told Aretima to help her father, took her And as the legend goes,
tree starts growing its green Kudawecha, who was a to start plucking the thorns back to her hut. from that day on, the Kibra-
leaves. The Kibrahacha is es- epistemophile, to come see of the tree to climb to the hacha tree no longer pro-
pecially particular, as it’s the his father. top where the flowers are. Upon arriving back at the duced any more thorns. q

Meet our Aruban trailblazers:

Padu Lampe

(Oranjestad)—This week we re- In a publication of the informative nowned in Venezuela, Colombia,
member one of our most beloved seminar, “Observer”, from august The U.S. and The Netherlands too.
Aruban giant, Juan Chabaya 1st, 1962, Padu’s many merits and In the 1950s, he sold no less than
Lampe—better known as Padu friendly personality stood out. It 50 thousand copies of his long-
Lampe or Padu del Caribe. As was said that he was an excellent playing albums (LPs).
one of the most important and re- pianist with a personal style and Padu Lampe was a multifaceted
nowned artists in the Aruban cul- full of surprises. Secondly, though artist, inspired by his interest in
tural sphere, Padu’s long career the composer was not too familiar parapsychology and supernatu-
led him to be honored today as with music theory, he showed in- ral phenomenon. He wrote three
“the father of culture.” novations in his compositions. Last- books in Papiamento on the sub-
ly, Padu was a promoter of Creole ject in 1986, which was published
On April 26th, 1920, Juan Chaba- music around the world. by the Aruban National Printing
ya Lampe “Padu Lampe/Padu One of the most important mo- Press with sponsorship provided by most influential trailblazers of our
del Caribe” was born in Nassaus- ments in Aruban history, in which the Prince Bernhard Funds Nether- community.
traat, Oranjestad. He grew up in a he was able to witness first-hand, lands Antilles. Padu will always be in Aruba’s
happy musical environment, and was the first radio broadcast on Besides that, Padu passed his heart, because he had com-
it is because of this that he de- the island on March 20th, 1954. exam on “Society to Advanced posed various special songs dedi-
veloped a love for music. Starting Here, he was accompanied by Ethical Hypnosis” in 1964 in New cated to the mothers of the island;
from the age of 12, he was agile Antillean guitarist Julian Coco and Jersey. He received a certificate his song “Sonrisa di un baby” (“A
in the clarinet, mandolin and cu- Hubert “Loi” Booi. as a hypnotechnician, which baby’s Smile”) has been written in
atro. Henry Lampe, his father, was In the art world, Padu was also a gave him the authority to practice three different languages. Padu
also a well-known pianist and mu- known painter. During his youth, hypnosis in some states. also wrote our national anthem
sician. he made several painting using Over the course of his career, he “Aruba Dushi Tera”, along with
his unique style. In 1939, he partici- received many accolades and Mr. Rufo Wever. This song was
pated in an art exhibit in New York, awards in Aruba, Curacao, Ven- approved by the government of
where he won a bronze medal for ezuela and the Netherlands. Aruba and was named the official
his painting “Typical View of Aru- Padu del Caribe passed away on anthem of the island in 1976.
ba.” November 29th, 2019, at the age Other songs that have been con-
Padu remained a popular artist of 99 years old. Padu brought the sidered as being almost a second
within the Dutch Antilles and the Aruban culture around the world. anthem for Arubans is the special
Caribbean as a pianist, singer, His legacy will remain ingrained in composition he wrote for his wife
author and painter. Padu Lampe the Aruban cultural history, and he Daisy Croes called “Abo so”. Daisy
was a local artist who became re- will be known forever as one of the later passed away in 1994. q