I rode in them every day back then and saw scores on the roadways. While Mambo beach may not technically be in Willemstad (or maybe it is I don’t know) it was one of my favorite hangouts, especially at dusk.īack when I lived in Tunisia, I became fascinated with old, weird French cars. In a lot of other cities, a guy dressed like that would draw attention. I snuck this shot while I was dining at a sidewalk cafe down near the tourist district – just because I liked the guy’s outfit. The side streets offer glimpses into artists’ studios, kitchens, and mysterious doorways.Īnd signs, both official and unofficial, light the way.Īt night, this building reminded me of something Magritte might paint. Christmas lights that hang over the street are turned on. At night, restaurant row comes alive with people. While a few decrepit houses remain, most of the neighborhood streets are now lined with restored, rehabbed Dutch colonial buildings. But a few years ago, a public-private partnership began to turn the area around. Until recently, this area was in serious decline and known mostly for its junkies, crack houses, and crime. I spent most of my evenings in the Pietermaai district of Willemstad.

But if I did, I’d model it very closely on 27. In moments of idle musing, I’ve sometimes thought how cool it would be to open my own club. You can’t be alive and sit still while this group is playing. I’ve never been able to dance, but if there’s one genre of music I wish I could move to, it’s this stuff. I don’t know enough about Latin American musical styles to comment intelligently on their shows (yes, I saw them twice), but I loved them. The women get dressed up to dance for this band. They play salsa, merengue, bachata, and other styles and attract a crowd of locals. With a voice and style reminiscent of Joni Mitchell, she did a set of of self-penned songs with beautiful melody lines and lyrics that ran from whimsical to introspective.Īndres Mercedes y Los Presidentes are a Latin ensemble from Curaçao. She was one of those opening acts that I’d be happy to see as a headliner sometime. The opening act that night was a singer/songwriter from The Netherlands who calls herself PollyAnna. His new band, Flying V Formation, was a multinational ensemble of younger musicians who rocked hard and tight. He certainly knew how to put on a fine show. But Barry Hay seemed to have lost very little of his vocal timbre. There are things that many of them did with their voices and their instruments when they were younger that they just can’t do anymore. I’m always wary of going to see older rockers. He lives part-time on Curaçao, where he reportedly DJs a radio program. I bought the third ticket that was sold for this event, which attracted a couple hundred people (a big crowd for Curaçao).īarry Hay was the frontman for Golden Earring, a Dutch band that had a big radio hit in the US with “Radar Love.” He has an interesting history, being a Jewish kid born in India to a Dutch mother and a Scottish father. The biggest show I attended was on October 7, which was when Barry Hay’s Flying V Formation took the 27 stage. Most of their selections were well-chosen covers, both of well-known tunes and deeper tracks – everything a great party band should do. One of my favorite groups was The Charming Bastards, a band committed to carrying the rock n roll torch in Curaçao. Here are some of the best moments from my hours there. Rock predominates, but Latin music and hip hop also get their due. Live bands perform there several times a week. These musicians are immortalized on the walls.īut 27 is not a monument to the dead – it’s a space for the living. But it was 27 Curaçao that fortified my rock n roll heart.Ģ7 takes its name from the age at which so many great musicians cashed their check. La Cantina del Patron nourished me with tapas and cold beer. Bed & Bike gave me a place to live and work. Many people and institutions sustained me during my five weeks in Curaçao.

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