Dutch-Speaking Caribbean Portfolio

 Dutch-Speaking Caribbean Portfolio

Precious Major

June 6th, 2024

Rudy Plaate

Introduction: The Dutch-speaking Caribbean consists of two island groups, the Dutch Winward islands and the Dutch Leeward islands. For the purpose of this playlist, we will focus on Curacao and the artist of choice will be Rudy Plaate, known as the "singing greengrocer" of Curacao. As a singer, in the local Papiamento language, his passion for music was evident, and he gained popularity in pop media with his jingles in his native language and advertisements that were fit to promote the local culture.

Song 1-Atardi

Plaate sang of his love for the island on his big hit “Atardi.” The song became his country’s unofficial national anthem. Most of his songs spoke about daily occurrences and how he felt about them. "Atardi" when translated means "afternoon/in the evening". In the song we can hear and feel how passionate Plaate is about his island, and he describes its beauty as the sun sets and the wildlife prepare to start a new day.

Song 2-Toch Mi Sa

Toch Mi Sa is a love song. It questions if the person loves as much as they think they are showing. The look in their eyes tell a story that do not match the words that they speak. Their eyes show misery, but their words speak love, "Time passes and we both suffer, tell me now, that your love, is me alone" When reading the translation, it almost gives a feeling of desperation and longing for love.

Song 3-Raspado

Like most of his songs, Plaate spoke of things he witnessed in his daily life. This song gave an account of what happened between a senior police officer and a civilian. The refrain of the song when translated said:

  "The righteous will be clothed with righteousness, and the wicked with wickedness.

He who humbles himself will be exalted.

You can speak English 

You can talk to Tingilin, if he does it again he'll wake up" 

In the song, the civilian clearly feels that the officer is in the wrong and vice versa which is often seen with law enforcement encounters. 

Song 4-Mi Ke Sa

Plaate is known for his patriotism. In Mi Ke Sa, he focuses on Curacao and what it would've been like in the future. He wanted to know if life on the island would be better or worse, "If Curacao is still sweet Curacao". He even mentioned Bonaire and Ariba questioning if their people still got along. Were the cars on the island being used or sitting, bringing back old memories? Is there more love and understanding or more problems?

Song 5-Dugudugu Sin Sous

All of Plaate's songs tell a story. Dugudugu sin sous gives the vibe of someone that is trying to prepare their family members for a life without them, giving advice and leaving instructions. He speaks of going away and not being able to stay with them. He expressed his love and continues to offer more advice. He tells them that no matter how much they try to get in shape or change their looks by dying their hair, loosing someone is something that everyone has to face.

Song 6-Santa Maria

In 1961, Plaate released 'Santa Maria' in reference to the hijacking of the Portuguese cruise ship by military officer Henrique Galvão, who aimed to overthrow the more than thirty-year dictatorship of Portuguese President Salazar. The song, sung in Papiamentu, was easily understood by Portuguese listeners due to the grammatical and phonetic similarities between the two languages. The lyrics resonated deeply in Portugal, ultimately becoming an anthem for many anti-Salazar patriots. The regime's attempt to ban the record only fueled its clandestine spread, as people smuggled it into the country in large numbers. The widespread underground circulation of "Santa Maria" led to Rudy Plaate being blacklisted by the dictatorship as a persona non grata.

References

1000awesomethingsaboutcuracao. (2013, October 2). 642. Curaçao’s Beloved Musician Rudy Plaate. 1000 Awesome Things about Curaçao. https://1000awesomethingsaboutcuracao.com/2013/10/02/642-curacaos-beloved-musician-rudy-plaate/

English - Papiamento translator | Glosbe Translate. (n.d.). Translate.glosbe.com. https://translate.glosbe.com/en-pap

Raspado - Rudy Plaate lyrics. (n.d.). Damnlyrics.com. Retrieved June 3, 2024, from https://damnlyrics.com/lyrics/Raspado-Rudy-Plaate-j4XKjOs2.html#gsc.tab=0

Toch Mi Sa - Rudy Paate lyrics. (n.d.). Damnlyrics.com. Retrieved June 3, 2024, from https://damnlyrics.com/lyrics/Toch-Mi-Sa-Rudy-Plaate-4X1h4c9u.html#gsc.tab=0

 www.oberon.nl, O. A. (n.d.). IDFA Institute | Discover the Power of Creative Documentaries. IDFA. Retrieved June 3, 2024, from https://www.idfa.nl/en/film/363edae5-fc45-4d23-adaa-dc6bf67c9862/atardi-the-life-of-curacao