Page 10 - aruba-today-20231003

Tuesday 3 OcTOber 2023 locAl
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Aruba’s cultural and literary development: Then and now

(Oranjestad)—The Aruban The 50s and 60s also saw
culture has seen many sub- the influence of interna-
stantial developments over tional cultures, especially
the course of a century. that of the United States.
With the introduction of the During this time, because
Lago Refinery at the turn of of international influences
the 20th century, followed as well as the continued
by the breakout of the Sec- prosperity of the oil refinery,
ond World War and the cultural traditions in Aruba
general incentive for politi- began to really take form
cal independence during and become widespread,
the mid-century, a cultural as different worldly and lo-
identity on the island be- cal concepts were intro-
gan to take form and have duced in the Aruban soci-
since developed through ety. With the establishment
international and local in- of local television broad-
fluences. cast station Tele-Aruba in
1963, and with time and
In the pre-industrial era of possibilities, local programs
the 19th century, much such as “Nos Tera”’ (“Our
could not be said about a Land”) started to pay more
cultural identity on the is- attention to the Aruban
land. Still being a part of a that the island saw a small culture and worked to form
Dutch colonial territory at boom in cultural manifes- a cultural consciousness
the time, as well as not hav- tations and entertainment, within the community. The
ing political or economic as farmers left the ‘cunucu’ 1960s also saw the rise of lo-
autonomy (Curacao was (country) life to work in the cal authors and artists, who
the center of commerce, refinery, which resulted in were more comfortable in
cultural life, and politi- Aruba acquiring a different producing works in our na-
cal management of the economic pilar. Before this, tive tongue, Papiamento,
Netherland Antilles at the entertainment and cultural but who also produced
time), the small population manifestations were mostly works in Spanish, English
of Aruba consisted mostly experienced by local par- and Dutch. This new phe-
of farmers and fishermen, ishes and the island’s elite, nomenon was in response
tending to their crops and who often partook in cul- to the interaction between
their cattle, or going out tural and entertaining ac- economic growth, individ-
to fish to provide for their tivities around the island, ual prosperity, cultural life
family. As Quito Nicolaas like going to the movie the- and literary expression.
states in his article Historia ater or coming together to 1950s, with the introduction tion of the general public.
di Literatura Arubiano: E share poetry on Sundays of the E.R.N.A agreement The 1950 brought with it a The 21st century
Bida Cultural (Literary His- after church. in 1951 and the signing of boom of literary produc- Nowadays, international in-
tory of Aruba: Cultural Life), the Statute in 1954, which tion on the island, like those fluence on our culture is still
“during the pre-industrial Literary life allowed more space for of V.S. Piternella, as well prevalent, especially those
period, there were no sig- Throughout the 19th cen- and control over the eco- as migrant authors José from Latin America, the
nificant economic activity tury and up until the 1940s, nomic and cultural devel- Ramón Vicioso y Rings Wil- United States and The Neth-
that could have created there were also not much opment of Aruba, that the liam Rufus, who have also erlands. Nevertheless, there
a cultural ambience, with trace of a cultural climate literary life on the island be- contributed to the literary also exists a strong cultural
only one way to generate for the cultural-literary sec- gan to grow substantially development on the island. identity and traditions that
profit at the time for the sub tor on the island. Primary compared to decades be- The literary movement was are exclusive to the Aruban
existence of Aruban fami- education was introduced fore. This was in response further promoted by local culture, often manifesting
lies.” on the island in the mid- to local institutions estab- broadcasters Voz di Aruba during traditional celebra-
19th century, followed by lished in the 1940s for cul- and Radio Kelkboom, with tions, like Dia di San Juan/
It wasn’t until the intro- secondary and higher edu- tural and literary growth their regular broadcast of Dera Gai (St. John’s Day),
duction of the Lago Refin- cation around the late 30’s on the island, but that did literary works. Dia di Himno y Bandera
ery in San Nicolas in 1928, and 40’s. It wasn’t until the not yet capture the atten- (National Hymn and Flag
Day), Camping during Eas-
ter and much more. With
the surge of social media
in the last decade, artistic
voices, especially those of
the younger generation,
has become even more
prevalent and easily ac-
cessible to the community
of Aruba through online
platforms such as Face-
book, Instagram and TikTok.

Source: Historia di Literatura
Arubiano: E Bida Cultural by
J.R. “Quito” Nicolaas