Music and Performances

Music and other entertainment and performances on Bonaire

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Classical Music Board Announces Next Concert for Saturday February 11, 2012

A tribute to the Bonairean composer Domenico Herrara along with songs from Schubert is the next concert to be presented by the Classical Music Board Bonaire. The concert will be held in Cacique Hall at Plaza Resort Bonaire, starting at 8:00 PM on Saturday February 11. 

Featured musicians include Livio Hermans on piano, Roberto Salsbach on bass guitar, baritone Ab Kroon and a special guest presentation by Boy Antoin.

Tickets for the event are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Accompanied children with a school ID pay only $10 at the door. Advance tickets may be purchased at Addo’s Bookstore, Flamingo Bookstore, Plaza Resort Bonaire, Chat ‘n Browse and Valerie’s Airport Shop.

The next concert from the Classical Music Board will be on March 31, 2012 with Wim Statius Muller and Tika Giel. (Source: Classical Music Board Bonaire)

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Jazzy Happy Hour to Be Held This Friday January 27, 2012 at Roomer Bonaire

Those looking for a relaxing way to wind down their week and start the weekend should consider the Jazzy Happy Hour this Friday at Hotel Roomer from 7:00 until 10:00 PM.

The event will feature music by island favorites Andreina and friends, known for their jazz and Latin jazz selections. Dinner specials are also available for $10 and diners may choose from pasta, stampot (a typical Dutch dish) or fried rice.

Roomer Bonaire is located at EEG Boulevard 97 in Belnem. There is no cover charge, and all are invited to attend. For more information, contact Hotel Roomer at 717-7488. (Source: Roomer Bonaire)

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Bonaire’s First Bachata Festival Announced

This coming weekend December 16 through 18, 2011 will mark the first bachata festival to be held on Bonaire. Bachata is a type of music and dance that originated in the Dominican Republic in the beginning of the 20th Century, which is guitar based with traditional Latin and Caribbean rhythms. Bachata popularity has spread to other parts of Latin America and Mediterranean Europe and it is now as popular in many areas as salsa and merengue.

The festival which kicks off Friday night will feature world famous professional dancers Troy Anthony and Jorjet Alcocer of Houston, Texas and three live bands including Esquema from Aruba, Los Reales from Curacao and JR Latino from Bonaire. A welcome registration happy hour will be held Friday at City Cafe from 5:00 to 7:00 PM featuring the JR Latino band. The fun then moves to Sense with a workshop at 8:00 PM held by Bachata Troy and Jorjet and a workshop at 9:00 PM with Rueda de Bachata ClubFiera Bonaire. A party featuring the band Esquema and DJ Robert 2 will conclude the evening from 10:00 PM until 2:00 AM.

Activities on Saturday move to Karel’s Beach Bar with workshops mixed with dancing from 8:00 through 11:00 PM with Bachata Troy and Jorjet. The evening will conclude with performances by the bands Esquema and Los Reales from 10:00 PM until 3:00 AM.

The festival finishes Sunday at Spice Beach Club starting at 2:00 PM with a Zouk workshop by Pachanga from Aruba, followed by chill out time on the beach. At 6:00 PM another workshop will be held by Bachata Troy and Jorjet. A BBQ dinner will be held at 7:00 PM and the festival will conclude with a bachata show by Troy and Jorjet at 8:00 PM followed by performances from the bands Los Reales and JR Latino from 8:15 to 10:00 PM.

Ticket prices vary depending on the events chosen to attend. A full pass including six workshops and three parties is $100. A pass with four workshops and two parties is $80. A party pass to attend three parties is $30 and a pass for one workshop only is $22 and one party only is $12. The BBQ dinner on Sunday is not included. Tickets are available for sale at City Cafe, Sense Restaurant, Karel’s Beach Bar, Spice Beach Club and Bonaco. (Source: Dance for Fun and Fitness Bonaire)

Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Club Roomer Bonaire Presents Christmas Market on Sunday, December 11, 2011

Everyone is invited to Club Roomer’s Christmas Market this Sunday, December 11, 2011, from 2:00 PM through 6:00 PM, featuring arts, crafts, and holiday gifts from a wide variety of local artists and craftsmen. 

Unique covered booths will be open in the rear garden of Hotel Roomer where that special gift for family and friends will surely be found.  There will be jewelry, paintings, carvings, statuary, toys, and games, all available for purchase.

And, to get everyone into the holiday spirit, Hotel Roomer will also provide Christmas cheer by sponsoring a Happy Hour from 4:00 to 6:00 PM.  Drinks and snacks will be available for purchase and fair-goers can relax and listen to the sounds of local singer, Roli Casimiri. Roli will render his versions of popular Christmas songs and Bonaire’s own favorites around the pool area.

All proceeds from booth sales are solely for the market participants who have created the sale items. Club Roomer is a charitable organization, now in its third year of existence. The group’s aim is to provide activities and events to raise money which is then given back to Bonaire’s elderly, handicapped, youth, etc., in thanks to the island inhabitants for welcoming everyone to their island.  For more information about Club Roomer Bonaire, click here.

So, please show your support for Bonaire and Bonairean residents this holiday season with a visit to the Club Roomer Christmas Market on Sunday.  Hotel Roomer is located at EEG Boulevard #97, in Belnem.  (Source:  Club Roomer Bonaire)

Friday, November 11, 2011

Classical Music Board Announces Next Concert

Music from operas, operettas and other musical selections will be performed Saturday November 19, 2011, when Bonaire’s Classical Music Board presents soprano Nicole van Eer, pianist Armand Simon, and Deborah Helder, a young pianist and winner of the Aruba’s 2011 International Youth Competition. 

The artists will be presenting pieces from favorite operas including Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Puccini’s La Boheme and Bizet’s Carmen, in addition to other works by Beethoven, Verdi, Tosti, Chopin and Schubert. To round out the evening, there will be selections from musicals The Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, Send in the Clowns and Guys and Dolls.

Nicole van Eer is known for her singing talents in both operas and musicals. She studied classical voice training at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam, has performed and competed internationally, and now resides in Aruba.

Armand Simon was born to Aruban parents in Amsterdam and began studying piano at age 12. He is dedicated to chamber music and studied at the Conservatory of Rotterdam and continued on to the Conservatory of Utrecht. He has performed extensively internationally and in 2004 he returned to Aruba to work with young musical talents of the island and founded the Crescendo Foundation. He is also the artistic director of the International Aruba Piano Festival.

Deborah Helder won the 2011 Aruba Crescendo Piano Competition, the youngest winner ever, at age 13. She started playing at age 7, when her parents gave her a little piano. After three years of studying, she was accepted by the Da Vinci Academy and is currently studying with Armand Simon.

This concert is followed by a buffet, where attendees will have the chance to meet the artists and enjoy a special dinner buffet, drinks and music. The concert will be held in Cacique Hall at Plaza Resort, starting at 8:00 P.M. Tickets may be purchased in advance at Addo’s Books and Toys, the Flamingo Bookstore and Plaza Resort for $20 per person or $25 at the event. Combined tickets for entrance to the concert and the buffet dinner are available for $45. (Source: Classical Music Board Bonaire)

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

The 44th Edition of the Bonaire International Sailing Regatta and Festival Begins This Weekend

Scheduled activities will begin as early as this Friday and continue through Sunday, October 9th, 2011.  To view the schedule of events, click here.

The Bonaire Regatta is an annual sailing event with many races along the rugged coast of Bonaire and Klein Bonaire. All kinds of boats, hailing from all over the world, participate in this sailing competition. Added to this are windsurfing- and freestyle-competitions. The daily races in various categories are scheduled very close to shore in the Kralendijk Bay, so spectators can easily follow the colorful sails.

The evenings are filled with the Regatta Festival activities along the Sea Promenade, Wilhelmina Park, and on the streets of Kralendijk. Stands with a variety of local food, souvenirs, games, and handicrafts attract locals as well as visitors; they throng the normally quiet streets during this time. International and local bands perform on stage every day of this festive week.

To learn more about Bonaire’s annual Regatta, click here.  (Source:  Bonaire International Sailing Regatta & Festival)

Friday, September 23, 2011

The Classical Music Board Bonaire Launches New Season with a Tribute to Franz Liszt

Pianist Jura Margulis will be visiting Bonaire on Sunday, October 2nd for a special Franz Liszt concert in celebration of the composer’s 200th birth date (1811-1886).  Margulis’ varied program will include romantic and melancholic melodies, for which Liszt was so well known, but also pianistic magnum opus.

Jura Margulis was born in St. Petersburg. He received training from his father at the Musikhochschule in Freiburg, Germany. He followed his advanced training in Italy and the United States. Margulis lives and works in America, where he gives piano lessons at the Fullbright College of the University of Arkansas and lets the public enjoy his piano music in many places in the world. His talent is rewarded with international prizes.

His concert on Bonaire will be held at Cacique Hall at Plaza Resort Bonaire and starts at 8 P.M.  Admission tickets cost $20.00 per person in advance of the event and are available at Addo Books and Toys, Flamingo Bookstore, or Plaza Resort.  Tickets at the door on the night of the concert are $25.00 per person.

The next concert from the Classical Music Board Bonaire will be on November 19th, 2011 with alto Nicole van Eer and pianist Armand Simon.  (Source:  Classical Music Board Bonaire)

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Hotel Roomer Hosts a Jazzy Happy Hour On September 30, 2011

On Friday, September 30, 2011, Hotel Roomer will host the Cabaco Trio, with Carlos, Andreina, and Carlos, for a special Jazzy Happy Hour at their property.

The Cabaco Trio are well known on Bonaire for their Latin jazz, so it should be a fun evening.  Happy Hour drinks will be available with free snacks.  For more information, contact Hotel Roomer at 717-7488.  (Source:  Hotel Roomer)

Sunday, September 04, 2011

Bonaire Day 2011 Will Be Celebrated Tuesday, September 6 in North Salina

Bonaire’s flag day is celebrated each year on September 6th, and the festivities rotate into different barrios, or neighborhoods, every year.  This year’s celebration will be held in North Salina on this coming Tuesday.

This year’s theme is “Maintaining Identity” and the holiday commemorates the day way back in 1499 when Amerigo Vespucci first set foot on Bonaire.  Bonaire Day is an important day for all Bonaireans, as it’s a time when the local culture and way of life can be renewed and celebrated.

This year the events kick off at 10:00 AM and will continue throughout the day and evening.  All are invited to attend.  A program of the day’s events is available by clicking here (in PDF format, in Papiamentu) and the cultural program is available by clicking here (also in PDF, in Papiamentu.)

Those visiting Bonaire should also know that Tuesday is a legal holiday and many establishments will be closed for the day.  (Source:  Island Government)

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Grammy Award Winner, Natalia Jimenez, Charms Bonaire

On Friday evening, June 10th, two-time Grammy Award Winner, Natalia Jimenez, charmed an enthusiastic crowd of fans in a live concert on Bonaire.  Images of Natalia may be viewed on the Bonaire Insider Photo Gallery by clicking here. 

Natalia Jiménez Sarmiento was born in Madrid, Spain and is a popular Spanish singer. She is the lead singer of the Spanish pop band, La Quinta Estacion, and her musical talents are obviously inherited, as her father was also a singer.

She definitely “wowed” the audience on Friday evening, inviting them to sing along with her and dance at the front of the stage.  She had an engaging style, drawing in the audience quickly, while keeping them entranced with a variety of songs in Spanish-style or pop throughout the evening’s concert.  (Source:  Bonaire Insider reporter)