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Bonaire.
Culture:
The culture of Bonaire is predominantly of European, African, and Native origins.
Influences from around the world have been combined on Bonaire in a truly unique mixture, testifying to how successfully the people have been able to integrate their different ethnic Picture backgrounds. From Africa come the great festival dances of the Simadan and the Bari, with their polyphonic musicality and a whole range of percussive instruments.
Cuisine:
Netherlands Antilles are a group of island situated in the Caribbean sea. This country’s cuisine reflects perfectly the great mixture of people and culture existing here and how each one brings along their own influence. During the time people like French, Dutch, English and Spanish left their mark over Netherlands Antilles cuisine. This way traditional food customs vary from one island to another, but despite this they all are made using as a base the Caribbean Creole cuisine. One of the most famous dish in this country is called Funchi, which is a pancake made of maize flour. Any traditional Netherlands Antilles meal should consist in Funchi and Pan Bati dishes combined with goat stew (carni stoba) and garnished with different types of hot spicy sauces. Black cake (bolo pretu) is one of the favorites desserts for special occasions on the main island.
Food in Daily Life. Traditional food customs differ between the islands, but all of them are variations of Caribbean Creole cuisine. Typical traditional foods are funchi, a maize porridge, and pan bati, a pancake made of maize flour. Funchi and pan bati combined with carni stoba (a goat stew) form the basis of the traditional meal. Bolo pretu (black cake) is prepared only for special occasions. Fast food and international cuisine have become more popular since the establishment of tourism. the country's cuisine is a true reflection of the diversity of the people, which brings to the fore touches of the French, the Spanish, the Dutch and the English. Some of the island's favorite foods are: callaloo soup (Caribbean Greens), Crab Backs (crab meat stuffed in shells), bakes (Johnny Cakes), Phillipsburg pancakes (pumpkin flapjacks), coconut sugar cake, butter cookies and coconut turnovers. In the streets of Marigot, you'll find the latest in French fashions and cuisine. Along the shore, small huts serve hot and spicy jerk Chicken. Browse the open-air market for succulent fruits and local crafts or sail to a neighboring island for the day. Sample cuisine infused with West Indian spices, or check out the local nightclubs and casinos.
Music:
The music of the former Netherlands Antilles is a mixture of native, African and European elements, and is closely connected with trends from neighboring countries such as Venezuela and Colombia and islands such as Puerto Rico, Cuba, Santo Domingo, Haiti, Martinique, Trinidad, Dominica, and Guadeloupe. The former Netherlands Antilles islands of Curaçao and Aruba are known for their typical waltzes, danzas, mazurkas and a kind of music called tumba, which is named after the conga drums that accompany it.
The remaining islands are much smaller than Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. They are Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten and Saba. Sint Eustatius has little nightlife, with only one nightclub (the zouk Largo Height Disco)[1] as of 1996. The inhabitants, "Statians", hold impromptu street dances called "road blocks", using booming car stereos. Saba has a number of dances at various restaurants, including a wide variety of hip hop, calypso, soca, kompa, zouk, bouyon, reggae and merengue. Sint Maarten has a well-known Carnival tradition featuring music and dance, held in mid-April and culminating in the traditional burning of King Moui-Moui, as well as a number of nightclubs and casinos featuring music; popular "spots" where locals go to dance include Boo Boo Jam and Lago Height, both located on the northern (French) part of Sint Maarten; the most popular recent casino band is King Bo-Bo, known as the "King of Calypso".
Ethnic Racial Composition:
* 80% Black & Mulatto (Traces of Amerindian ancestry as well as East Indian)
* 20% White & Others (Latin Americans, West Indians, Chinese, Americans, Europeans etc...)
Languages:
English & Papiamentu is the official languages of Bonaire. Papiamentu is a Portuguese dialect with influences from Dutch, Spanish, English, and West/Central African languages, there are also traces of Amerindian words.
Religion:
Religion is an integral part of life of many Bonaire residents, as well as a strong part of the cultural history of Bonaire, and there are quite a number of churches of all types on the island. Most Bonairean churches are Christian, but there is also an Islamic mosque. There is also a growing number of Rastafarians on the Island.
Sports:
The most popular sports on Bonaire are baseball, windsurfing, athletics, association football, tennis, and volleyball. The Bonaire Football Federation is a member of CONCACAF and the Bonaire Volleyball Federation is an associate member of NORCECA. The Baseball teams play in the Caribbean region of Little league and Pony league. Bonaire was also confirmed as the 218th Table Tennis National association.
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