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Painting
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A long time ago, Gauguin set the example by moving to the Marquesa Islands. Nowadays, too, painters from Europe and America settle on islands that provide them exotic inspiration. Many have come to Saint Martin to create original works which represent, in various styles and using various techniques, their view of our insular landscapes and local way of life. Their artistic sense is stimulated by two very rare natural elements, the exceptional light and permanent sunshine, far from the daily stress of crowded cities. In their search for painters and galleries, art lovers will quickly find the right addresses, and their successful quest will yield the added benefit of meeting most of the artists in person.
Like many other visitors they will leave with an original or reproduction painting of the Tropics as an invaluable memento of an enchanting trip.
In mid-September, the island artists meet at City Hall, at the annual exhibit « Au coin des artistes » (« The Artists Corner »). Most are also members of an art association, such as « Art Lovers ».
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Literature
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From the mixture of cultures and the varied historical and cultural heritage of Saint Martin are born works telling of love and of the evolution of man, of the sea and of nature.
Poets and novelists help to shape the soul of this island and to perpetuate its traditions. Among the works produced here are tales and traditional stories directly inherited from the era of slavery, relating life experiences to communicate a message
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Religion
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Religion is an important element in Saint Martiners’ lives. There are about fifty religious affiliations related to Christianity. Because of its high immigration rate and multi-ethnic culture, Saint Martin is home to numerous different communities.
The most common are : Catholic, Anglican, Adventist, Baptist, Voodoo, Methodist, Rastafarian, and Hindu,
The Worship of the Dead also plays an important role in the lives of Saint Martiners.
The Gospel
A pure and authentic Saint Martin tradition, this rousing music can be heard at nightfall or on Sunday mornings emanating from the most modest temple or the most imposing church. Follow the sound. Surrender to its magic !
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Music
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Whether English, Spanish or French-speaking, all the Caribbean islands have one thing in common: rhythm, dance and song.
Musical creativity is ever active, it is the rhythm of life in the Caribbean. Mambo, Cha cha cha, Salsa, Calypso, Biguine, Gwo Ka, Zouk, Kompass, Steel Bands, Dub, Merengue, Reggae, all come from this region.
Saint Martin is all about music, and music is an integral part of life. On street corners, in a roadside bar, in cars, everywhere you hear a variety of musical styles, which mingle to form a giant orchestra. Here, you can’t live without music!
A rare treasure: the vitality of the musical Grandpas in the string band « Caribbean Happy Boys » an authentic artistic element of Saint Martin’s heritage.
Their music is a flavorful mix of merengue, calypso, bolero, polka and three-beat waltz.
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Games and traditions
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Dominoes : the Caribbean’s favorite game. You can’t walk anywhere on Sundays or on any evening without catching a glimpse of four men, heads bent, sitting at a table set on a terrace, on the sidewalk or in a bar’s back-room. If one of them raises his hand to slap it back down on the table with a cracking noise, there’s no doubt: they’re playing dominoes. This popular passion is all the more surprising since card games are little favored. Every community has its own traditions. In a ranking list of Caribbean leisure activities, a peaceful domino game is at the top.
The four players distribute all of the 28 tiles among themselves. Extremely skilled players begin the game by holding all seven wooden tiles in one hand, but very few can do it. Get closer and try it, the table is always open !
Bingo : On Sunday afternoons, in a « gaguère » (the Haitian name for a cockfight area) at La Savane, Abner ceremoniously shakes the calabash he holds in both hands as if it were a cocktail shaker. Like a metronome, his forearms wave the oval shell to a four-beat rhythm. Next to him, the players listen. Bingo, calabash and corn seeds, far from the fancy casino tables. A dollar a game, is the price of rest and recreation. After a week of labor, Haitians meet here to play together. The rules of Bingo are simple : each player has three cards with 25 squares. The first one to complete a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line wins.
Cockfights : Cruel « entertainment » for some, .a source of profit for others, this programmed slaughter of an animal is part of this island’s traditions. Once a week, around the pit, spectators hope for the victory of the cock on which they have placed their bet.
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Architecture
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Caribbean architecture applies a tropical influence to European tradition.
When they first arrived, Europeans built all their towns with houses aligned on a grid plan. Many buildings in Marigot are two-storied, built of wood and stone, often painted in vibrant colors, with rusty sheet-metal roofs. Door and window moldings, all different and all original, verandas decorated with louvers and wooden shutters are all part of the architectural heritage of Marigot.
Saint Martin is also marked by the architect Ali Tur’s « aliturian » influence. This architect of the 1930s imposed his architectural style in the Caribbean by building with a mixture of tradition (good air circulation and protection from the sun) and modernism (the use of concrete). The tourist explosion and high rates of immigration have led to the building of large, imposing buildings–never more than 3-storied on the French side–which, nevertheless, remain faithful to the Caribbean spirit.
The traditional wooden Creole house of 2 or 3 rooms is built to withstand hurricanes and hardly ever measures more than 3 meters by 6.
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