‘KULPAMI NUMA’ een geweldige interpretatie van Stanley Clementina

Stanley Clementina

De getalenteerde componist en zanger Stanley Clementina breidt zijn muzikale horizon uit met de romantische Afro Beat genaamd ‘KULPAMI NUMA’, een samenwerking met de artiest Remses ‘MuisjeMuis’ Rafaela. Het nummer spreekt van een relatie waar de man alle schuld over zich heen krijgt over de problemen in het relatie.

‘KULPAMI NUMA’ legt uit hoe een man ook pijn ervaart wanneer een relatie stuk gaat. Gedurende verschillende scenes in de videoclip wordt Stanley ondervraagd door het model Franceen Westmaas die de rol van een vrouwelijke detective speelt. ‘KULPAMI NUMA’ is en indrukwekkende samenwerking van een paar zeer getalenteerde Curaçaose muziek professionelen woonachtig in Nederland. Naast de vocale interpretatie door Stanley en MuisjeMuis, werd het lied geproduceerd door Stanley en de getalenteerde Zurich Musiq en werd de videoclip geregisseerd door Martina Thareyck en Cineterra.

Stanley Clementina

Album Debuut
Gedurende de komende weken, zal Stanley in Curaçao zijn voor een promotionele tour, en zal hij verschillende videoclips opnemen voor zijn nog titelloze debuut album, die hij hopelijk deze zomer zal lanceren. Met deze productie, staat de populaire Afro Beat centraal en werkt Stanley samen met getalenteerde Urban artisten zoals Dopie, Dayo en Ori. ‘KULPAMI NUMA’ is het eerste nummer van dit album. Tijdens verschillende tours met de Kaapverdische zanger Nelson Freitas, werd Stanley gemotiveerd om in zijn moedertaal te blijven zingen. Het belangrijk voor Stanley om het Papiamento te internationaliseren, dus wilt hij zijn album ook in het buitenland promoten. Als vocalist, werkte Stanley ook met onder andere Rass Motivated, Frank McComb, Tamara Nivillac, Shirma Rouse, Glennis Grace, en ook Ir Sais.  Aan het begin van 2015, begon Stanley zich meer te profileren als solo-artiest en bracht hij nummers uit als ‘Regrésa a Mi’ en ‘Sweet Pain’, waarbij hij uitdrukt hoe uit relationele uitdagingen toch aanzienlijke groei kan voortvloeien.
Stanley Clementina zal ook een eenmalige workshop vocale techniek geven op 8 maart 2017 in het Kura di Arte. Voor meer informatie kun je een e-mailsturen naar steezmusic@gmail.com of bezoek http://www.stanleyclementina.com
Bekijk op hier de videoclip ‘KULPAMI NUMA‘.

Stanley Clementina ku produkshon nobo titula Kulpami Numa’

Stanley Clementina

E talentoso kompositor i kantante Stanley Clementina ta ekspandé su horizonte musikal ku e romántiko Afro Beat titula KULPAMI NUMA, un kolaborashon ku artista Remses ‘MuisjeMuis’ Rafaela. E interpretashon ta papia di un relashon unda e hòmber ta haña tur e kulpa durante e desenlase. Den varios esena den e videoclip modelo Franceen Westmaas ta hungá e papel di un investigado ku ta interogá Stanley. KULPAMI NUMA ta sigui splika kon e hòmber tambe ta eksperensia doló durante e relashon ora e realisá ku e relashon no ta bai mas. Tambe impreshonante pa mira kon KULPAMI NUMA ta trese varios talento Kurasoleño biba na Hulanda huntu pa realisá e proyekto akí. Banda di e interpretashon vokal di Stanley i MuisjeMuis, e kantika a keda produsí pa Stanley i e talentoso Zurich Musiq, i e videoclip a keda dirigí pa Thareyck Martina i Cineterra.

Debut Albùm

Durante e simannan benidero, Stanley lo ta na Kòrsou pa un gira promoshonal, unda e lo graba diferente videoclip pa su debut albùm, kual e ta plania pa lansa e zomer akí. Ku e produkshon, e ritmo popular di Afro Beat ta para sentral, i Stanley ta kolaborá ku talentoso estrea nan urbano manera Dopie, Dayo i Ori. KULPAMI NUMA ta e promé kantika fo’i e albùm akí. Pa Stanley ta importante pa internashonalisá Papiamentu, i p’esei e ke promové e albùm akí den eksterior. Durante diferente gira ku e kantante Kaboverdiano Nelson Freitas, Stanley a ser inspira kontinuá kanta den su lenga materna. Komo vokalista, Stanley a traha ku entre otro Rass Motivated, Frank McComb, Tamara Nivillac, Shirma Rouse, Glennis Grace, i tambe Ir Sais. Na komienso di 2015, Stanley a kuminsá profilá komo solista i a lansa kantika nan manera  ‘Regresa a Mi’, i ‘Sweet Pain’, unda ela ilustra kon fo’i reto relashonal tòg por bini kresementu signifikante.

Stanley Clementina lo duna un tayer eksklusivo di téknika vokal dia 8 di Mart, 2017  na Kura di Arte. Pa mas informashon mail steezmusic@gmail.com of chéck www.stanleyclementina.com

Chéck e video di KULPAMI NUMA riba YouTube.

The Schoop brothers: Tapping into their brotherhood, family and love for Sta. Maria City.

WILLEMSTAD: Family and brotherhood are the most important values for Sharlon and Jonathan Schoop. For the past three years, both brothers have been playing for the Baltimore Orioles. Jonathan has been playing in the Major Leagues and Sharlon for the Triple A. Both look back to a successful 2016, where Sharlon was called up as a standby in the Major Leagues for three days, increasing his future chances for a permanent spot on the roster. If this happens, it would be the first time in our history that two brothers will play for the same Major League team.  

Jonathan is especially satisfied, since he was able to play 162 games and achieved solid stats during this season. Despite all their successes, the Schoop brothers religiously return to Curaçao during their four-month break, to spend quality time with family and friends. Sharlon, who returned to his favorite position as a short stop, hopes to get another opportunity in the Major Leagues. “Not to place the blame on anything specifically, but I endured a lot of injuries during my career. I’ve been playing in the Minor Leagues for thirteen years, where I played with the Giants for seven, two with Kansas City, to then sign with the Orioles”, he explains.

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Comparing their game

“I don’t worry when people do that”, Jonathan explains. “If you tell me that he’s better than I am, I’d agree with you, because he’s my brother. That kind of rivalry doesn’t exist between us, because I can’t go against my brother”, he adds. Sharlon recounted how a manager once asked Jonathan what the difference was between the two. “He replied that the opportunities that Jonathan has gotten, I haven’t had thus far”.  According to Sharlon, talent and luck are essential, and the coaches need to believe in your abilities. Jonathan is optimistic that his brother will one day reach the Major Leagues. “He’s a tremendous player and he has a lot of experience, because he’s been through allot. I’ve studied him and learned from him. He only needs to relax, continue to do his best and if it’s going to happen, it will happen”, Jonathan adds.

The life of baseball

According to Sharlon, life as a professional baseball player is not a walk in the park, since a player maintains a hectic training and travel schedule and isn’t left with much time off.  “You give up allot for the game, like your youth, education, and free time. There isn’t any amount of money that can buy that back”, he explains. On an average day, I arrive at the field at 3 PM, I eat, go to the gym, then we warm up and stretch, to prepare for the 7 PM game. After we’re done with the game, we go home and the next day do it all over again”, Jonathan explains. “During one month we might get one to two days off”, they add.

Making a sweet deal

When a baseball prospect starts to get attention from professional teams, Sharlon advises the parents to negotiate a good signing bonus. “You can never predict the luck of your child, however if it doesn’t pan out, you at least have a backup”, he explains. According to Sharlon, the better the signing bonus, the more attention a team will give a prospect and the greater its chances are to advance professionally. Contingent on his talent and skills, Sharlon believes that a good signing bonus should start around 200.000 USD.  He also emphasizes that the coaches need to start investing more in the game and skill sets of the players, instead of only focusing on winning. Jonathan agrees with him, and believes that more money needs to be poured into baseball. “Local kids can go far with baseball”, he explains. “That’s why baseball needs to be promoted more, where perhaps we can start a (permanent) baseball academy that is better suited to cultivate talent”, Jonathan explains.

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The Schoop brotherhood

Currently Jonathan and Sharlon live together in Baltimore. “I’m the cleanest of the two, because Jon always loses stuff in the house”, Sharlon jokingly declares. Yet the bond with Curaçao remains strong, since both brothers have families and children that still live on the island and consider it their real home. When you arrive at the home of the Schoop family in Sta. Maria on any given day, you’ll encounter a vibrant atmosphere, where several relatives and neighborhood friends gather to discuss the daily occurrences. Quickly a BBQ is lit or somebody prepares a scrumptious meal to feed the domino playing guests. “We grew up here and do everything together, from playing sports to parties”, Jonathan explains. “Its Sta. Maria City and we are proud of our neighborhood”, he declares.

According to the Schoop brothers, when you engage in positivism, your focus should remain on that. “It’s exciting to see my friends do great things, and that’s why we’ve decided to build a recording studio in our yard, so they can continue to create music. We don’t have to go anywhere for our entertainment, but can stay home and chill”, Jonathan explains with a laugh.

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 Playing favorites

At the end of our visit, a loud and hilarious discussion ensued between the Schoop brothers about who is their parents’ favorite child. Even the oldest brother Slaider – nicknamed Sli – chimed in. Sharlon loudly declares that Sli is their mother’s favorite, where Jonathan quickly adds “but you’re definitely our father’s favorite, since he does EVERYTHING for you”.  “Whatever”, Sharlon exclaims, “you know how hard it is to get him to do anything for me, however when Jon asks, our father jumps”, he quickly shoots back. “It’s funny how much alike they are”, Slaider adds with a smile. “Maybe I am my mother’s favorite”, Slaider quips, and “because I stayed with her in Curacao and I take good care of her” he concludes. To put an end to the controversy, Mrs. Claudette explains with a big smile that she loves all her children equally. “I always had to caution the elder boys not to pick on Jonathan so much. But now look how much taller he is than them both”, she laughs.

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MI KU BO: Kòrsou i Cabo Vèrdè a topa!

WILLEMSTAD/ ROTTERDAM: Riba 2 di òktober ultimo a tuma lugá un konsierto kompletamente bendí na teater Islemunda na Rotterdam. E evenementu tabata den kuadro di e proyekto ‘Cura Meets Cabo’ ku ta un inisiativa di e kantante kurasoleño Tamara Nivillac. Den kolaborashon ku Strength By Unity Foundation i Levende Talen a organisá un atardí kultural kaminda Kòrsou i Cabo Vèrdè a topa pa asina saludá otro di un forma kordial i artístiko ku baile, deklamashon, músika i kanto. Lingüista Ramon Todd Dandaré, di Aruba, a habri e programa ku un presentashon tokante e similaridatnan entre e dos idiomanan. E kulminashon di e atardí tabata lansamentu ofisial di e kansion nobo titulá ‘Mi Ku Bo’.

‘Cura Meets Cabo’ ta un proyekto ku a wòrdu inisiá e aña akí. Na komienso di aña Tamara a hasí un cover di e kansion ‘Hello’ di Adele, tradusí na Papiamentu huntu ku produktor Stanley Clementina. E videoclip lansá entre otro via YouTube i Facebook, konsekuentemente a bai viral. Tamara a hala atenshon di entre otro FunX i RTL Boulevard aya na Hulanda, pero hopi pekuliar tabata e montón di reakshonnan ku a drenta for di Cabo Vèrdè.

Tamara Nivilac – Hello  (Adele cover in papiamentu)

Caboverdianonan tabata fasiná pa e echo ku nan tabata komprondé un gran partí di e idioma i nan tabata kurioso pa sa ta di kua país e kantante ta desendiente i ta kua idioma e ta papia. E kuriosidat akí a inspirá Tamara di tal forma ku e mes a bai eksplorá pa asina haña sa mas tokante e lasonan evidente entre e dos paísnan. El a bin diskubrí e historia ku Kòrsou i Cabo Vèrdè tin komun i ku ta data for di temporada di sklabitut. Esklabonan for di Cabo Vèrdè ku tabata wòrdu transportá ku barkunan pa Kòrsou a yuda aportá na desaroyo i kreashon di nos idioma Papiamentu. Esaki ta algu hopi spesial i ta akí e proyekto ‘Cura Meets Cabo’ a mira lus.

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E single nobo ‘Mi Ku Bo’ ta reflehá netamente e lasonan ariba menshoná. E kansion ta karga un mensahe di hermandat i di union. Nos no ta tan diferente i riba varios tereno nos ta hopi similar. Dor di sa nos historia i rekonosé e lasonan eksistente, nos por ta más habrí pa traha huntu i huntu nos ta más fuerte. E kansion ‘Mi Ku Bo’ ta un kolaborashon entre Tamara i e kantante femenino konosí di Cabo Vèrdè, Dina Medina. Produkshon i areglo tabata den man di Stanley Clementina ku alabes ta ko‐kompositor di e piesa huntu ku e dos kantantenan. Den e videoclip, ku por sierto ta hopi bunita, por mira obranan di arte di otro yu di tera ku ta saka kara den eksterior, artista Francis Sling. E piesa i videoclip ta optenibel na tur radio emisora, plantanan di televishon i riba medionan sosial. Yama pidi p’e libremente i ban sostené nos yunan di tera ku ta hasí promoshon pa nos isla ei‘fo.

Informashon adishonal:

Link videoclip ‘Mi Ku Bo’

Anthony Hamilton discovers Curaçao – 2016 CNSJ edition

Anthony Hamilton chilling at the Renaissance Hotel – picture credit Shadiah Elhage

WILLEMSTAD: Unforgettable performances, logistical stress, adult acne breakouts, good food, amazing conversations and learning how to move in unison with Anthony Hamilton and his crew. Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival is a yearly roller-coaster ride, where we try to tap into the festival spirit, by getting up close and personal with an amazing artist, while exposing them to the many amazing facets of Curaçao – without acting like a band aid.

As a 15+ year entertainment veteran, I’ve paid my dues in this industry, and I can honestly say I love the fact that I get to tap into the minds of musical geniuses such as Hamilton and Wyclef Jean and try to figure out what makes them tick. It’s not easy to manage the constant picture requests and hold ups, and Anthony Hamilton does it so effortlessly. However, patience is imperative when you hang out with such an amazing and chill crew. You thought island people have their own time? You have yet to be acquainted to Hamilton time! It’s beautiful to witness when an artist lets its guard down and starts to relax like us islanders do. I tried to prepare them, no… Curaçao people won’t get hysterical, and yes they know who you are…we’re just cool like that! “Hey swa, un ta Anthony Hamilton esei?”

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Last Sunday, we took Hamilton and his crew on a small road trip to Band’abou, where we had lunch at Jaanchie’s and later had an amazing time jamming under the trees of Westpoint’s high flying park. A few fortunate fans also got the opportunity to witness this intimate affair. We spoke about his fifth album ‘What I’m Feelin'”, which was released in March, and reunited him with famed producer Mark Batson, and also discussed his latest singles ‘What I’m Feelin’ and ‘Amen’. The entire conversation with Hamilton will be published in Events Curaçao Magazine, Curaçao’s largest tourism publication, so keep your eye out for it.

Thank you’s

When your own people sometimes fail to see your worth or try to diminish your shine, it’s refreshing to have the support of the amazing people like Michelle H. and Eli, who didn’t flinch to make this interview happen. I’m eternally grateful. Secondly, I want to thank Junior Tecla and superwoman cousin Shadiah Elhage, who stepped up to the plate and made things happen. A sincere thank you to Sharon for her patience, Jaanchie for his good food, and Sheila for her vision and relentless trust. You are all warriors and radiate positive vibrations and that keeps me going. A big shout out to Mr. Gregory Elias, for his infallible genius. We will always support your vision and continue to pay it forward.

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Finally, I want to thank Anthony Hamilton for his generosity, patience and charm. We have enclosed you and your crew in our hearts and consider you family. Till we meet again….

In the meantime, I will continue to give you teasers of our unforgettable weekend, so check out the Velvet Rope for more updates.

___________________________

@all pictures taken by Shadiah Elhage

DJ FAB: The Connection with the audience is essential

WILLEMSTAD – DJ FaB, who hails from Curaçao, is a rising star in the urban scene of the Netherlands and is ready to leave his mark one performance at the time. If there is a party or festival where the Antillean community meets up, you can rest assure that DJ FaB will be there to ‘turn up’ with the most popular Afro House hits. He’s currently on Curaçao for a club tour at various popular hotpots, and the Velvet Rope caught up with him at Bikini’s, his favorite hangout, to learn more about some exciting developments. We also spoke to the popular MC Don T, who shared his views about the Curaçao and Dutch club scenes and where DJ FaB fits into it all.  

The 29-year-old DJ was born as Fabian Cominencia in the Kwartje district. After completing the Advanced Technical School or the MTS, in Curaçao, he moved to the Netherlands to study Applied Computer Science. Initially, he took a break from his studies to advance his musical career, however he plans to finish his degree in November. Five years ago, he decided to take the DJ craft more serious. “It started spontaneously, since I was always in charge of the music during the parties that my friends organized”, he explains. He decided to purchase some simple DJ equipment and started playing. “Initially I thought that my equipment was not good and I sold everything to buy new and more expensive ones. But I soon noticed that my lacking skills were the culprit, so I had to practice a lot to get better at it”, he shares with a smile. Although he’s used to stand in front of a crowd and entertain, DJ FaB has a friendly disposition, yet some would be surprised to find out that he can be rather shy. “I love to stand behind the turntables, but I admit that I’m not a very sociable guy and rather chill backstage or on the stage”, he shares.

DJ FaB – picture credit @ Deya Mensche

The art of Mixing

According Cominencia, a good DJ should have the ability to sense its audience. “You can’t just randomly start to play what you like. Additionally, perfecting the mixing technique is also very important”, he explains. He admitted that there are DJs that are damaging the name of the profession, due to the fact that they don’t perform live and prepare ahead a mix to play at the party or festival. David Guetta for instance, was criticized for not doing a live set during the opening of the Rio Olympics. “I understand why he would want to do that during such a large live event, where many things can go wrong”, Cominencia explains. “However I do everything live, so from song selection to every scratch you hear, I do that on the spot”, he emphasizes. DJ FaB has a unique concept of mix tapes called ‘Fabulouz mix tapes’ and will launch version 7 in November. “Currently, some friends and I are working on an album under the name FAB” Cominencia adds.

DJ FaB performing – picture from his Facebook Page

MC Don T, also known as Viendri Eleonora, is a popular MC at various urban festivals and parties in Curacao and the Netherlands. He sees a big difference between the urban festivals in the Netherlands and those in Curaçao, however feels that the development of the genre and the atmosphere are the same. “The Curaçao audience is more demanding and must acclimate first, before they begin to enjoy the party,” he says. Here, the role of the MC is essential to help the DJ create a good atmosphere.

MC Don T – picture credit @ Deya Mensche

According to MC Don T, DJ FaB’s appeal is growing steadily, especially with the Antillean diaspora, because the DJ often works with the popular Cache band. He acknowledges that the Netherlands is legendary in cultivating DJs who excel internationally, especially in the House genre, however he emphasizes that the urban genre does not remain behind. “Unfortunately in the Netherlands, there is a ‘factor of worthiness’ that is prevalent, so not many get an opportunity to be included. The urban DJs are a close nit clique and either they, or a promoter, need to give you an opportunity”, MC Don T continues.  He feels that slowly but surely, DJ FaB is going in the right direction, since he’s booking major festivals like CrazySexyCool in Rotterdam.

Lloret del Mar Urban Tour

In October, DJ FaB and a group of urban Antillean acts will do a club tour at the popular Spanish tourist resort of Lloret del Mar. “We are going for the second time and this time around, we will be prepared to do more shows”, the DJ explains. As we have become accustomed from him, DJ FaB will return to Curaçao in December, to indulge the audience to good music and an awesome atmosphere.

Devi Dev: the importance of family

Devi Dev – Picture from his Facebook Page 

WILLEMSTAD – Another rapper from Curaçao that is also dominating the Dutch and Antillean urban scene is the talented lyrist Devi Dev. The Velvet Rope sat down with the rapper to discover how he celebrates his heritage through his music. At the root of his love for Curaçao is the importance of family, a reoccurring theme in his music. We also spoke with the legendary rapper MC Oye, a pioneer in the Dutch and Antillean urban music, and the talented DJ and video clip director, Selwyn de Wind, who shared their views about the recent developments in the genre.   

Born in Curaçao as Jurick Job, the 26-year old rapper moved to the Netherlands with his family as a an infant. He grew up in a busy and loving single parent household that consisted of his mother and aunt, two siblings and several cousins, yet had to overcome a difficult childhood. “I was a very naughty kid and gave my mother a lot of headaches”, he shared. In fact, the moniker Devi Dev comes from people calling him ‘little devil’, a label he truly disliked growing up, so it was shortened to Dev.  He attributes his behavioral issues to the absence of a father figure in his life, which culminated with a two-year stint at a boarding school at age 8, because his mom couldn’t handle him. “Karma is an interesting thing, now that I have a newborn baby girl”, he chuckled. Despite the rough start, Devi Dev never lost track of what truly matters, which is family. The doting father of three showed his softer side when he patiently tended to his kids who were vying for his attention during our interview. He’s committed to be present in his children’s life to make sure they grow up differently. He credits these experiences to the development of the truth talking and street smart persona of Devi Dev and wouldn’t change a thing about it.

Devi Dev with his daughter – Picture from his Facebook Page 

Rap as an escape

Devi Dev grew up with a crew of friends in Capelle aan de Ijssel, a city in the outskirts of Rotterdam with a large Antillean community. “We’d rap on the streets and play in a brass band”, he shared. Dev wasn’t very interested in school and soon dropped out of the VMBO. His no nonsense mother Sharella, was at times very strict and didn’t allow the teenager to hang around the house doing nothing, so he moved out on his own at the age of 18. Devi Dev always knew he could rap, however he never had the courage to record. “I had a few friends that were serious about rap and I would go home and secretly practice”, he explained. “Some of them laughed at me, but that pushed me to become better. I first recorded a diss track at the age of 16”, he shared. To this day Dev is part of the Talk Riders crew, and in addition to the label, they also launched an urban clothing line called ‘The Riders Family’.

Devi Dev – Picture from his Facebook Page 

The impact of the ‘Panda remix’ and ‘Na Bida Mi Ta’ did take Devi Dev a bit by surprise. “I released Panda in April of this year after I came into the studio one evening and laid that track in one take”, the rapper explained. Producer and video clip director 2MG came to Capelle to record the clip and in two days they released the song. He noticed that the songs were a hit when his phone began to ring off the hook for bookings in the Netherlands. According to Selwyn de Wind, this shows the power of the internet how the technology has advanced. “Through the internet, Curacao became more popular in the Netherlands. Now more people know about the islands and the Curacao artist has become more proud to identify as such”, the video clip producer explained. Many see Dev as a ‘street intellectual’, and is, by his own admission, a perfectionist. “Devi Dev is lyrically very proficient and the way he plays with words is amazing” de Wind added. “Everything I rap about, are based on my personal experiences or things I’ve observed”, Dev shared. “I’m just a dude from Rotterdam and here everybody knows and supports me. My fan base has grown a lot in Curaçao and the experience is different and I like that allot” he explained.

 

Devi Dev clip ‘Na Bida Mi Ta’ – Picture from his Facebook Page

Re- discovering Curaçao

Although Devi Dev grew up in a home that always spoke positively about Curaçao and where they spoke Papiamentu freely, Dev would return to Curaçao at the age of 8. “I remember everything. I got off the plane and I could hear my family scream my name”, he remembered with a smile.  It would be another seventeen years before Devi Dev returns to his birth island for a slew of performances. “I took way too long to return, since I feel so relaxed and stress free in Curaçao. The first thing I do when I arrive on the island is to visit my aunt Nana that always spoils me”, Dev shared. Dev does have a message for his people with his music. “I don’t do it for the fame, but I do have something meaningful to communicate. If I rap them in Dutch that might get me in trouble with some people”, he continued. MC Oye sure agrees with the messages of the up-and-coming artist. The MC encourages the crop of new rappers to always remain faithful to who they are. “In the end, everybody decides what they want to sing, however I’m urging all to remain as positive as possible. Be aware what kind of influence you have on the youth, even when you are rapping about real life experiences, you can do that in a positive manner” he finalized.

For the upcoming months, Devi Dev is working on various exciting projects, like a few singles, and he also has a few performances booked in Spain, Aruba and dushi Curaçao.

MC Oye

Selwyn de Wind