Atlete from Curacao wins gold medal 100 m Pan American Games!

Nos atleta a bolbe gana Oro!. Biba Churandy Martina. Biba Kòrsou!






Martina gives tiny Netherlands Antilles big gold medal
By Steve Keating

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Diminutive sprinter Churandy Martina powered to victory in the Panamerican 100 meters on Tuesday to give the tiny Netherlands Antilles its first medal of the Games.

Sandwiched between the two towering U.S. medal hopes Darvis Patton and James Samuels in the starting blocks, the 5-feet 8-inch, 150-pound Martina led from the gun, narrowly seeing off the American challenge with a winning time of 10.15 seconds.

Patton, the 200m silver medalist at the 2003 world championships, was once again forced to settle for runnerup honors, clocking 10.17 while Antigua's Brendan Christian took the bronze with 10.26 on drizzly night at Joao Havelange Stadium.

Martina's gold medal is only the fourth ever for the tiny group of Caribbean Sea islands at a Panam Games, and their first athletics triumph.

"It's very special," said Martina, who carried the flag to lead his country's three-member team into the stadium at the 2004 Athens Olympics opening ceremony.

"It's my first big title and I equaled the record in the heats and that was good too."

In a Games marred by bad crowd behavior, the 100m final became the latest event disrupted by Brazilian spectators.

JEERING CROWD

As runners settled into their blocks, spectators in the end zone, whistled and jeered the sprinters causing two false starts.

"I was trying to get better than my 10.06 yesterday but there was too much noise," said Martina, who will run at the world championships next month in Japan. "On the second start I could barely hear, it was very distracting."

Zwarte Man Quincey

In het kader van een radioproject maakte ik het volgende radioportret.



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MultiMediaTalk June 2007

CHOOSE YOUR LIFE
Multimediatalk over school, carrière en hosselen om overeind te blijven
Donderdag 21 juni, 19.00 uur


Je bent jong en hebt een gouden toekomst. Of niet?
De één maakt zijn school af, studeert en droomt van een goede baan. De ander leeft op straat en ván de straat. De derde traint en zingt. Biedt de samenleving jongeren nog wel een kans of kan je alleen maar rijk worden in Nederland met muziek of sport? Kortom heb je nog wel een eigen keus als jongere?

Met:
- Rap van de rapper en businessman Wen Regal
- Minchenu Maduro, gespreksleider
- Videoboodschappen van Streetboys & girls en carrièretypes
- Rap van de Zuidoostgang Apo- clipz
- Fragmenten uit films en clip, zoals Shottas, City of God en de documentaire Untold, the story

Global Perspective 7 juni 2007

My radio show Global Perspective, aired June 7 2007. Global Perspective is my radio program on the local Amsterdam radio by MVS, the Amsterdam gay and lesbian broadcast group. In this show: a report on a speech by the COC Amsterdam chairman about growing intolerance, announcement of a comedy night and a personal column about sex and sexuality.


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Mi Tributo na Brigida

My tribute to Mrs. Brigida Meyer- Cratz.
I met her during conferences about the Antillean society in The Netherlands and was inspired by her as a fellow poet. Se died at the age of 69 on May 27 in Amsterdam.

Hende Grandi
Gran Hende


Hende Grandi,
Paso mi a hisa kabes mira Brigida
Mucha yòn mané mi tabata
Ami kla pa yuda drecha mi komunidat
Sin a desaroyá sensibilidat

Hende Grandi,
Oranan ku mester a papia
Buska saber i interkambiá
Pa duna nos hóbennan
Mas noshon di nan identidat

Hende Grandi
Brigida ta ku di dje si
Mi a aseptá korekshon i estímulo
Buskando palabra i frase
Kreando mi poesianan

Hende Grandi
Un Gran Hende Brigida Meyer- Cratz
Plantando bida nobo na su isla
I aseptando final di esun di dje

Un Gran Hende a bai sosegá
No tin preteksto mas
Gran Hende nos tur por ta
Gran Hende manera Brigida.



Marlon Reina
30 mei 2007



Radio Netherlands paid attention to her death on ther site.

Global Perspective: music & coming out stories

Ik maak een radioprogramma voor MVS radio, Global Perspective. Global Perspective is het zwarte gay & lesbian radioprogramma van Amsterdam e.o.
Donderdag 17 mei had ik een uitzending met muziek en ik las stukjes voor uit een Coming Out verhalenbundel.


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Conmemoration War victims, attn gays and lesbians in Amsterdam Southeast

Op vrijdag 4 mei, legde ik samen met Sandra een bloemstuk namens de homo/ lesbische gemeenschap in Amsterdam Zuidoost tijdens de Dodenherdenking in Holendrecht in Amsterdam Zuidoost. De Dodenherdenking is voor mij een speciale dag om stil te staan bij de gevolgen van oorlog en ander geweld. In de eerste week dat ik in Amsterdam woonde, in 1992 bezocht ik de Dodenherdenking op het Homomonument en vanaf dat moment voelde ik me een onderdeel van een ‘Amsterdamse homogemeenschap’. Dat is intussen wel veranderd.

In Amsterdam Zuidoost, waar ik al meer dan tien jaar woon staat men bewust stil bij de vele dimensies van de Tweede Wereld Oorlog en andere oorlogen, maar niet zo bij het aspect seksuele geaardheid. Om die reden vond ik het belangrijk om namens de homo/ lesbische gemeenschap daar te zijn. Ik hoorde van iemand die erbij was dat op het moment dat we aangekondigd werden als Homo Lesbische Platform Zuidoost, er gegiechel was onder andere bij de aanwezige jeugd. Toen ik dat hoorde vond ik het des te belangrijk dat ik er, als zwarte man zichtbaar was zodat de jeugd en de andere aanwezigen onze presensie in de gemeenschap niet kunnen negeren. Tijdens het drinken van thee later kwamen twee vrouwen naar me toe om me te bedanken ‘dat je ons zo goed heb vertegenwoordigd’. Het was blijkbaar de eerste keer dat er een homo/ lesbische uitgesproken zichtbaarheid was tijdens de herdenking in Zuidoost. COC Nederland ondersteunde deze actie van het Homo Lesbisch Platform, waarvoor onze dank.

Marlon Reina

Artists at B Multi Jam

Krater Theater started the monthly program B Multi Jam, a jamssession for musicians, poets, dancers and singers in the Bijlmer. On March 8 the rapartist Kiddo Cee performed among others.



The next jam will be on thursday 12 april, 8.00 PM at Krater Theater, Hofgeest 139.

Article on decolonization of the Netherlands Antilles

For the leftwing magazine Grenzeloos I was asked to write an article about the process of constitutional reforms in the Netherlands Antilles. I focused more on the developments in Curacao. The article is in Dutch.
Check it out!.

On the picture: the leaders of 3 so called Leftist parties in Curacao (ltr Errol Cova of the PLKP, Anthony Godett from Frente Obrero and Charles Cooper from the MAN)

Who do you love

Due to a big storm, this event was rescheduled to thursday March 15.

I had an radio- interview with Dennis Boutkan, chairman of the COC Amsterdam about the multimediatalk Who do you love (March 15, 7.00 PM. Imagine IC- Bijlmerplein 1006)




















Imagine IC en COC Amsterdam presenteren: Who do you love?
Multimediatalk over liefde, seksuele diversiteit en relaties

Hoe denk je over liefde? Welke eigenschappen heeft je ultieme lover ennog belangrijker val je op mannen of vrouwen?
Datum: 15 maart 2007
Tijd: 19:00 uur – 21:00 uur
Locatie: Imagine IC
Toegang: gratis

Het is moeilijk om ervoor uit te komen dat je homo en om overhomoseksualiteit te praten. Daarom gaan we het er over hebben: overpartnerkeuze, relaties, culturele verschillen en seksuele diversiteit.Hoe reageert jouw omgeving op jouw nieuwe liefde? Hoe denk je dat jeouders reageren als je uit de kast komt en maakt dan hun achtergrondiets uit?Onder leiding van Andrew Makkinga gaan jongeren aan de hand vanfilmfragmenten, spoken word en live chatsessies met elkaar in gesprekover liefde, gemengde relaties, homoseksualiteit en homofobie. Jong en oud spreken videoboodschappen in overliefde-tegen-beter-weten-in.
Via MSN geven anonieme en internationalegasten antwoord op who do you love.
Met oa:
- Spoken Word van Zulile
- Videotalks van jongeren over liefde en gemengde relaties
- Filmfragmenten van de Roze Filmdagen, IDFA enAfrica in the Picture
- Live Chat met de Antillen

Imagine IC, Bijlmerplein 1006-1008, 1102 ML Amsterdam, 020 489 43866,www.
ImagineIC.nl.

Dennis Boutkan

Happy New Year!

Bon Aña i tur kos bon!
Mi ta spera tur boso deseonan keda kumplí.
Ami lo sòru pa esei ta e kaso ku esnan di mi.
Dios Bendishona bosnan tur den 2007!

I wish you all a Happy New Year.
May all your wishes come out.
I will make sure mine do.
God Bless you in 2007!

I ringed in the new year at my friend Laurindo's new place, where he will launch his fashion bussiness in 2007.
The picture was made by another friend, Ajamu, who moved to Amsterdam this month. Ajamu is a fine arts photographer and cultural activist with more then 20 years of experience in London, and now wants to invest his knowlegde here in the Netherlands.

Class reunion

Some of the people I graduated with in 1989 form the Maria Immaculata Lyceum in Curacao. We had a small reunion this month in Utrecht.

My radio feature: Habri, ik kom terug Curacao

Last September I was in Curacao where I worked on my first radio feature: Habri, ik kom terug Curacao- I’m coming back Curacao. I got an assignment by the Humanistische Omroep to go to Curacao and research how it would be to return home as an openly gay man. I talked to my then boy friend Mario and my mum about our relationship and the island.


Another thing I had to deal with on Curacao was the sudden death of my father when I was six years old. I wanted to know if he would have accepted a gay son. But talking to my uncle the conversation turned in a totally other direction.

The feature is in the Dutch language.
See for more information about the feature on Radio Atelier.
Click here to listen to my documentary.

Debate on integration, race and fiction

Yesterday I visited a debate organised by the Forum 2020 with the title:
'How urban societies disintegrate and become a breeding ground and a battlefield of extremism' .
For this evening Mr. Trevor Phillips, Chairman of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) was invited form the UK to give his view on the matter of ‘integration and migration’ in Europe.

Mr. Phillips gave a very detailed expose on the conflicts raised by the changing societies in most Europe states today. The reason I really admired his views is the fact that he really states what I also believe: the most important thing that should happen in order for all of us to live peacefully together is for the indigenous (Autochtonen in the Netherlands) to accept the fact that their society has changed: we are all here and nobody is going to leave. That mean that your society will have to have laws and institutions that are capable to cater to a diver society. The law will have to be there to impose equality, to create a situation in which no ones ethnic background should dictate it’s chances in live. Our institutions should be able to give all members of society equal chances, in education, health care, housing, political participation etc.

Paul Scheffer, a so called intellectual of the Left was asked to react on Mr. Phillips speech together with the young diplomat Arthur Kibbelaar, member of a advisory group for the Antillean Community.
Mr. Scheffer became famous in the Netherlands when he proclaimed the country was facing a ‘multicultural drama’. In the days of the uprising of rightwing anti- immigration atmosphere, he stated that because a lot of people of the so called ethnic minorities in Holland weren’t doing OK in the education and employment rates was a drama. The integration has failed! In the Fortuyn time the whole establishment agreed with this twisted view on the reality. Figures showed that more people pf ethnic origins were doing better in school and more young black and migrant students were attending higher education. It is true that the unemployment figures among ethnic minorities was still very high. But something like institutionalised racism by employers never came to his mind.

Of course, because he didn’t believe in ‘race’. This he said as a reaction to Mr. Kibbelaar very good contribution to the debate, in which he criticised the way the Dutch society treated citizens on different ways, based on their ethnic background. For example he mentioned the case of the Antillean community, which is constantly under attack of Dutch policy makers because of the criminal behaviour of a group of young Antilleans. The Dutch government wants to take the travelling rights away from young people of the Antilleans with a Dutch passport to prevent them from emigrant to the Netherlands from the islands. Also Mr. Kibbelaar pointed out the racism in the society.

Mr. Scheffer blatantly said he have to put ‘race’ behind us to get ahead. He gave us the scientific history about race as a construction which has been destroyed by the same science which invented it. In a debate about the future of Europe, he calmly said something like that. I was exploding on my chair with indignation. In my last trip to Curacao I was again pointed out as a possible drug trafficker at the air port and was asked questions and hold back for half an hour. I said: ‘they should stop one or two white people, too, just to pretend they’re not racist’ . But when confronted with this accusation, the Dutch minister of Justice just said it was a fact most drug traffickers were black. And Paul Scheffer has the audacity to say ‘race’ doesn’t exists. It is always the same story in which we see that Dutch society just simply denies racism and except us to go along to believe in the fairy tale. We just cannot, because reality knock on our door each day.

I left the debate very satisfied because a lot of people contra- attacked these statements and Mr. Phillips really gave me an impression the UK is really ahead of the ‘always knowing better’ Dutch! I really enjoyed his speech and the way he debated with the opponents. He was also very personal, using his own personal life in his speech.
Ten years ago that could have given me the will to relocate to London. The beautiful big city with much bigger and stronger black communities. I’m 35 now, and I know each story has different sides. The Netherlands also had for me the opportunity to study for example, and Amsterdam enriched me in so many ways. It is time to open our months now here in Amsterdam and Holland.

Visit to Curacao

I just came back from Curacao where I passed two very nice weeks. I rested, partied, visited friends and family and worked on a very exiciting project. I will inform you about that project in the future.

My mom together with my niece Jaylienne. After she stared at me for three days when I arrived, we became best friend. I'm already missing this nice girl, whom I have know since here birth in Almere. Now she is living in Curacao.

Here my mom with the children, Jaylienne and the youngest one Jurion.



My cousin Robert, who moved back to Curacao last year visited a couple of times with his son Jayven.

My dear friend Mario toured me on the island and took me parties during the Get Wet Weekend organised by local gay organisations.

I also visited the house where my father grew up, the central house of the Reina family.

I stayed in the house where I grew up. Now my mother's house.

The Kerwin Duinmeyer conmemoration

On August 20th 1983 the young Kerwin Duinmeyer was killed in Amsterdam. The killer was a fascist who killed him because of the colour of his skin. Duinmeyer became the symbol for anti-fascism in the Netherlands. Each year, his death is remembered with a manifestation, cultural performances and a quiet moment at a the sculpture Mama Baranka (Mother Earth) in the Vondelpark.




This year the demonstration took part for the 23rd time and people are always guessing about the public attendance. Is the amount of people a sign that people don’t care any more, or is it to much time ago, 23 years.
I visited the event together with friends. Our friend Christa Toppenberg, a very talented and renowned poet from Curacao performed with her own poems and with work of other authors.

The fact that Dijnmeyer was form the Antillean, always inspire the question why there aren’t more people from the islands taking part in the event. I think there are a lot of reasons as to why the participation of Antilleans is low in the Kerwin Duinmeyer- commemoration. At the other hand, a big part of the performers were Antillean, some, like some members of the drumming band Kalentura were very young Antilleans.

Each year when I visit the commemoration I feel a need to get involved. Fact is I have not!
I must find a way to get involved because of a lot of reasons.
I think it’s important to pay attention to the killing of a young, innocent man by a racist lunatic.
I think it’s important to make a big stand against racism in the Netherlands, a country which arrogantly have the idea they’re not racist. The French are, The Germans are, Italians, Spanish, American. The whole world could be racist, but they… not.
I still believe in the power of activism. I believe that another world is possible, if we can convince the people of it!

Listen to a radio-report (Dutch spoken) by the Radio Nederland Wereldomroep.

Churandy Martina making Curacao proud!

Netherlands Antilles' Martina can be the best, says coach Kitchens
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
by Gary SmithCaribbean Net News Sports Correspondent

EL PASO, USA: Following impressive performances in the outdoor campaign so far this season, Bob Kitchens, head coach at the University Texas at El Paso, believes with a little maturity and technical work Netherlands Antilles' world-rated athlete Churandy Martina can become the best sprinter in the world."Churandy (Martina) is further along at this point than I thought he would be," Kitchens told Caribbean Net News on Monday, "but I do believe he has a lot left that he can do."I believe he has a chance to be one of the best sprinters, if not the best sprinter in the world."At the UTEP Invitational at the Kidd Field in El Paso, Texas on Saturday, Martina improved his personal bests on his way to winning the sprint double with record breaking performances. He clocked 10.04 seconds to claim the 100m and 20.27 for the 200m title, but despite blowing away the field in both races, Kitchens said technically the Islander still has a lot of work to do - noting this will only make him faster."None of the races (this season) have been technically correct and therefore it would lend oneself to believe that he can run faster in both races (100m, 200m)," Kitchens said. "I think he is further along in the 100m and it is probably his best event. He definitely has more than one gear, but again for these things to happen he has to mature as a runner and that will take a little time."Martina has already run 10.17 and repeated 10.04 performances for the 100m in addition to his 20.27, which left many track and field supporters with the belief that he will burn out early and struggle to keep his present form in the future.However, Kitchens told Caribbean Net News that the sprinter's performances are a result of his talent and assured the public that the Antilles star is in good hands."We do have a history of good sprinters in this program," he confirmed. "He (Martina) has as much talent as any sprinter we have had here and that includes (Olapade) Adeniken (of Nigeria) and (Andrew) Tynes (from the Bahamas."We do quite a bit of base work in the fall and I don't believe he will burn out any time soon."He is an exceptional young man that has his head down to earth and is easy to coach."Martina is now the second fastest over the 100m this season behind Jamaican world record holder Asafa Powell's 10.03. After claiming top in the 200m with his 20.27 performance, Martina now trails American Xavier Carter, who leads the world with a 20.13sec run achieved in a head-wind."The atmosphere is very good for training and I am doing my best," Martina said. "I just want to keep improving in both the 100 and 200 every week."In the meantime, at the UTEP Invitational Erma Gene Evans also of the University Texas at El Paso, broke the Saint Lucia national record and improved on her personal best to win the women's Javelin Throw with a mark of 54.19m. Evans' performance ranks her as the second best thrower in the school's history and is fifth in the NCAA in this year.

My ol' bud Bongane wins gold medal!

In this edition of "Keeping It Real" Joe Hawkins interviews two-time Gold medalist Bongane Nyathi, who won a Gold and a Bronze medal in the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago. Bongane also discusses his inspirational journey from South Africa to America and the motivation behind his winning attitude.

See the interview, thanks to 'Keeping it Real'
Marlon Reina

Go for your dreams!

Today a the Kwakoefestival, (annual Afro Surinam festival with sports, food and music) I met Manolito, a guy I’ve known since kindergarten in Curacao. I haven’t seen him for more then ten years and after talking about our lives he asked me what I was doing.
When I told him I was working at a theatre, he was very surprised. He told me he remembered me as a very young guy drawing theatre curtains, theatre lightning, microphones and singers and dancers performing. He said ´You are realising your dreams´.

It was very touching to hear him say that, because I never realised that. I ´forgot´ about those dreams as a young boy. But I truly believe that at the end, what really make us happy is realising our dreams. And I think that as a young child, you can dream more freely, so to everyone go back to the dreams you had as a little child and realise them. You didn’t have those dreams just to have them. Dreaming is the way you can see everything you can become and realise in the future.
Thank you very much Mano and please do the same!

Modern dance from Africa

Last week I visited the program called Danse Afrique in the dance festival Julidans here in Amsterdam. During Dance Afrique we saw three performances by modern dance performers form Africa, whoa are touring Europe after winning an African modern dance concourse. The three pieces were very inspiring, beautifully danced and original.

The second piece we saw was called by the choreographer Andréya Ouamba from Senegal. She danced in it too. On stage there were a couple, seemingly living on the street in cartons. The dance was a kind of a battle between the man and the woman, with expressions of fear, loneliness, attraction and reclaiming own identities. The way they moved was very staccato, with short movements with strange bowing of arms and legs. I liked it very much. This was for me the best dance of the evening.

I also liked the group Mona- Mabu (Li Sangha company) from Congo a lot. They danced a choreography by Orchy Nzaba about daily life in the community, with a lot of familiar things like drinking beer together, playing and having small discussions. All of this danced in a nice rhythmical choreography by a group of five dancers. The group was completed with a storyteller who narrated and performed with the group.
It was nice to see professional dancers from Africa doing their modern dance, with a very own style. It was modern dance, but it wasn’t a copy of what you will see in Europe. And it was African, but it was not the traditional African dance we all know so good, and like a lot too. It was something new and beautiful, modern and African.