The 1960s were 'the most beautiful years of my life,' claims Colombian-born artist Ramón Todd Dandaré. These years - a time of turmoil in the world - were the years when Ramón began to understand life and learned to become critical of the social climate. The Beatles, Che Guevara, the Cuban Revolution, Vietnam, the African nations' movement towards independence - these were the social elements that awakened a sense of self-consciousness in Ramón, helping him to become aware of his real identity as an Antillean. Today, Ramón is one of Aruba's celebrated cultural icons who strives to help the people of his Island find their own Aruban identity.
Ramón entered into his period of self-understanding during his years of study at the University of Amsterdam. Although Ramón studied to be a Spanish teacher, he also devoted a great deal of time to writing poetry. In time, the budding Antillean poet realized that language is the true carrier of culture, so he began to write his poetry in Papiamento, a language that is 'truly beautiful because of its musical quality.'
|
 |
 |
|
Though most of Ramón's poetry draws attention to social matters - colonialism, racial discrimination in Aruba, and Aruban identity - Ramón claims that for every one of these 'social' poems, he also writes a love poem. (Indeed, this three-fold artist - poet, actor, and linguist - claims to be passionate about nothing more in life than women.) One of Ramón's most well-known poems, Isla Di Mi (Island of Mine), was published in the American literary magazine Callaloo. The poem is an attempt by Ramón to help Arubans figure out who they really are. Guiding his fellow Arubans in this self-exploration is an integral goal of Ramón's artistic endeavors.
Read Isla Di Mi here in both Papiamento and English (translated by Frank Williams).
|
Not only did Ramón start writing poetry at a young age, but he also developed a love for the stage. He played the role of a priest in three separate plays: a tragic comedy called Testamento di Cacho (Dog Testament), Romeo and Juliet, and E Secuestro (The Kidnapping), which was performed in Trinidad in 2002 during the Caribbean Theater Festival. In fact, Ramón's gentle and warm personality seems to fit the role of a priest superbly.
|
|
 |
|
On the other hand, Ramón's impressive work in the leading role of a 1990 production as an out-of-control, drunken wife-beater attests to his wide range of acting abilities. This social tragedy - called Dera Gai - was the first real Aruban made-for-TV film: it was performed in Aruba in Papiamento by Aruban actors and written by an Aruban writer. (The film can be borrowed from the National Library of Aruba.)
For on-stage work, Burny Every - a Dutch actress who moved to Aruba - was Ramón's inspiration. She also served as the director of an Aruban theater group founded in 1975 by Ramón and his colleagues. Ramón warmly remembers the deceased Ms. Every, who had such a profound influence on the many plays and films in which he acted.
|
Ramón's love of language is evident in his work as a poet, but this love goes much further. In 1973, Ramón went back to Colombia in order to earn a masters degree in linguistics. From 1975 to 1977, Ramón taught Papiamento and Spanish, and then served as the director of the Linguistics Institute of the Netherlands Antilles (now the Linguistics Institute of Aruba). Five years ago, Ramón stepped down from this position and is now working at IPA, the teacher's training college in San Nicolas. At IPA, Ramón is busy with Papiamento linguistics: he is teaching school teachers correct Papiamento, which is being taught as a course at Aruban secondary schools; and he is overseeing the task of implementing Papiamento as the language of learning in the primary schools. (This change will perhaps be implemented in time for the next school year.)
|
|
 |
|
Ramón's aim in bringing Papiamento into the local school system is to better enable Aruban students to learn how to think and write more logically in their own language. He believes that if left out of the school system, Papiamento will remain a superficial language which lacks the ability to convey in-depth ideas and concepts. As a linguist, Ramón is at the forefront of this endeavor to evolve Papiamento. As Papiamento develops into a more integral language, Ramón believes that Arubans - whose thinking is highly influenced by Europe and America rather than the Caribbean - will be better able to figure out who they are.
For the next five to seven years, Ramón plans to compile a true Papiamento dictionary and an in-depth Papiamento grammar textbook. He also wants to do more acting, but for now, working as a teacher gives him the daily opportunity to act as well as satisfy his most cherished hobby. |
|
