Changa Hickinson
(Aruba, 1957) is one of St. Martin's better-known poets who writes with notable dedication. He has lived in Trinidad and the Netherlands. In the 1980s he made St. Martin his home, and here first book, Illegal Truth (1991) was published under the name of Ras Changa. From the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, he became well known as a believer in RastaFari. His thunderous voice is heard often at various cultural events. Changa's work was recently published in an anthology of St. Martin writing. The multicultural aspect of the island is central to his work. More than 70 nations live on this Caribbean Island of which some part still 'belongs' to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The original population has become a minority and this has some strange, downright colonial effects. Europeans, for example, can live on the island without immigration restrictions, but Caribbean migrants must apply for a visa.
Hickinson toured with Winternachten in Indonesia and the Netherlands Antilles, and performed at the festival in The Hague.
Archive available for: Changa Hickinson
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Crossing the Seas - Sint Maarten
With: Bas Heijne, Bernice Chauly, Changa Hickinson, Clara Reyes, Iman Humaydan, Lenworth Wilson, Lucinda Audain, Mathilda Richards, Peter Lake, Yasmine Allas
On Sint Maarten, Winternachten collaborates with the Philipsburg Jubilee Library. Crossing the Seas - as the event is called here, is an evening with readings by writers and poets. The participating authors from Sint Maarten are Peter Lake, Lucinda Audain, Lenworth Wilson Jr. and Mathilda Richards, with music and song by Amin Bouabdelli, Changa Hickinson, Donovan Froston, Erika van Putten and Shanella Romey James. The foreign authors in this programme are Bas Heijne (Netherlands), Yasmine Allas (Netherlands/Somalia), Bernice Chauly (Maleysia) and Iman Humaydan (Lebanon). All texts read by the foreign authors will be projected simultaneously in English translation. The M.C. is Clara Reyes.
Except for this public programme, the library also organises peformances of the writers in high schools and at the Sint Maarten University.
Philipsburg Community and Cultural Center, Backstreet. Wednesday 14 April, 7 p.m. Admission is free.
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Living together multi-coloured: the Antilles, Surinam, the Netherlands
With: Changa Hickinson, Cynthia Mc Leod, John Jansen van Galen, Mito Croes, Ruben Severina, Sombra
A debate. Creole, Hindostani or Javanese, Bakra, Makamba or Indian. How do the various population groups live together on the Antilles and in Surinam? Are there problems with integration or have the colour barriers been levelled? What is the difference with the Netherlands in comparison with these experienced multicultural societies?
The Netherlands is struggling with multiculturality. While within the kingdom for centuries there has been practice with regard to the advantages and disadvantages of multi-ethnic society. In Surinam all the feast-days are celebrated by all the population groups jointly, all the languages are respected. But do the groups live together or rather do they live at cross-purposes? How tangible is the distinction made according to cultural origin on the Antilles? Can the societies in the Netherlands, Surinam and the Antilles learn from one another? Mito Croes from Aruba introduced the discussion with a sketch of the situation on his island. Writer Cynthia McLeod and poet Sombra from Surinam, poet Changa Hickinson form Sint-Maarten and journalist John Jansen van Galen from the Netherlands entered into a discussion with him and the audience. The discussion was hosted by Ruben Severnina. Dutch spoken.
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Downright performers: Surinam and St Maarten
Overwhelmingly and defiantly Changa Hickinson of St.-Maarten brings his committed, activist poetry to the stage, booming and singing about colonialism and slavery, alternating this with whispers about poverty and suppression. Just as committed is the Surinamese poet Sombra. A pure performer, who with his drily humorous diction keeps the audience captivated. English spoken.
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Winternachten Overseas at the Erasmushuis - Jakarta
With: Adriaan van Dis, Changa Hickinson, Chitra Gajadin, Denise Jannah, K. Sello Duiker
Als afsluiting van de Indonesië-tournee vindt in het Erasmushuis (verbonden aan de Nederlandse Ambassade) een avond plaats rond het thema 'The Dutch connection'. Een avond met voordracht en gesprekken met Adriaan van Dis, Sello Duiker (Zuid-Afrika), Changa Hickinson (Sint Maarten) en Chitra Gajadin (Suriname/Nederland). Denise Jannah zingt poëzie uit de verschillende landen.
De voorgedragen proza-teksten en gedichten worden simultaan in Indonesische vertaling geprojecteerd. De gesprekken worden in het Engels gevoerd (met samenvattende vertaling in het Indonesisch) met de Indonesische gespreksleider Nono Anwar Makarim. -
Winternachten Overseas in Teater Utan Kayu - Jakarta
With: Adriaan van Dis, Changa Hickinson, Chitra Gajadin, Denise Jannah, K. Sello Duiker
Het festival Utan Kayu Literary Biennale 2003 vindt gedurende drie dagen plaats in Teater Utan Kayu in Jakarta. Het theater is een cultureel centrum dat kort voor de val van Soeharto werd opgericht. Het wil een vrijplaats zijn voor debat, literatuur, film, theater en muziek. Twee jaar geleden vond hier het eerste literatuurfestival plaats, in samenwerking met Winternachten.
Dit jaar komen de schrijvers behalve uit Indonesië ook uit Maleisië, Duitsland, Oostenrijk, en - via de samenwerking met Winternachten - uit Suriname, de Antillen, Zuid-Afrika en Nederland. De 'Winternachten-groep' treedt op verdeeld over de avonden, met voordracht uit het werk (in simultaanprojectie vertaald naar het Indonesisch), en zang van Denise Jannah, begeleid door lokale musici.
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Winternachten Overseas in Solo
With: Adriaan van Dis, Changa Hickinson, Chitra Gajadin, Denise Jannah, K. Sello Duiker
Op twee avonden treedt de groep schrijvers uit Nederland, Suriname, de Antillen en Zuid-Afrika op met lokale dichters uit de regio Solo (Java). Denise Jannah zingt poëzie op muziek, begeleid door lokale musici.
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Winternachten Overseas on Bali
With: Adriaan van Dis, Changa Hickinson, Chitra Gajadin, Denise Jannah, K. Sello Duiker
Voorafgaand aan de optredens van de schrijvers in Bali, geeft zangeres Denise Jannah workshops poëzie en muziek aan Balinese studenten.
Behalve de Winternachten-schrijvers treden op deze avonden ook schrijvers op uit Oostenrijk, Maleisië en Indonesië. Denise Jannah treedt op met haar gedichten op muziek, begeleid door lokale musici. -
Krusa Laman - Curaçao - writers evening
With: Barche Baromeo, Changa Hickinson, Cynthia Mc Leod, Denise Jannah, Frank Martinus Arion, Gibi Bacilio, Laura Quast, Lupe Reyes, Nelleke Noordervliet, Rayda Jacobs, Roland Colastica, Sitok Srengenge
An evening with readings by writers and poets from South Africa, Suriname, the Netherlands, Indonesia, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. With a performance by the Surinamese jazz-singer Denise Jannah, accompanied by local musicians. Jannah sang poems from Suriname, the Antilles and South Africa, accompanied by the Curacaoan guitarist Pierre Dunker and percussionist Ernie Gregorio . The programme was presented by Roland Colastica.
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Krusa Laman - Bonaire
With: Bòi Antoin, Cecilia Everts, Changa Hickinson, Cynthia Mc Leod, Denise Jannah, Lupe Reyes, Nelleke Noordervliet, Rayda Jacobs, Roland Colastica, Sitok Srengenge
An evening with readings by writers and poets from South Africa, Suriname, the Netherlands, Indonesia, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Bonaire. With a performance by the Surinamese jazz-singer Denise Jannah, accompanied by local musicians. Jannah will sing poems from Suiname, the Antilles and South Africa. The programme was presented by Roland Colastica.
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Crusa Lama - Aruba
With: Barche Baromeo, Changa Hickinson, Cynthia Mc Leod, Denise Jannah, Giolina Henriquez, Jacques Thönissen, Jossy Tromp, Nelleke Noordervliet, Rayda Jacobs, Roland Colastica, Sitok Srengenge
An evening with readings by writers and poets from South Africa, Suriname, the Netherlands, Indonesia, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Aruba. With a performance by the Surinamese jazz-singer Denise Jannah, accompanied by local musician Ivan Jansen. Jannah will sing poems from Suiname, the Antilles and South Africa. The programme was presented by Roland Colastica.
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Crossing the Seas - Sint Maarten
With: Changa Hickinson, Cynthia Mc Leod, Denise Jannah, Frank Martinus Arion, Ian Valz, Joy Reiph-Arnell, Lyzanne Charles, Nelleke Noordervliet, Rayda Jacobs, Sitok Srengenge
An evening with readings by writers and poets from South Africa, Suriname, the Netherlands, Indonesia, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. With a performance by the Surinamese jazz-singer Denise Jannah, accompanied by Anastacia Larmonie. Jannah sang poems from Suiname, the Antilles and South Africa. The programme was presented by Joy Reiph-Arnell.