It’s Day 11 of 11 Days of SXM. With that being said, I want to wish everyone a Happy Saint Martin’s Day. Whether we are home or ah foreign, I want us to take this day to celebrate ourselves, our history and our culture. In honour of this great day, I want to share this poem/monologue that I wrote: 

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O Sweet Saint Martin by Kamilah Gumbs 

O sweet, 
Sweet Saint Martin Land
So beautiful in your glory 
So grand 
From the 37 beaches 
All for each mile 
Where the young, old give their speeches 
Professing their love, joy 
For this o sweet Saint Martin Land 
 
A land of division and unity 
French, Dutch, 
but the song say though talketh English much. 
From the rolling hills and bustling piers 
To the music of the string band
Playing under the magnificent Flamboyant.
Jam Bands filling the streets 
Stews, Soups, BBQ and Johnny cakes filling up we belly.
 
O sweet Saint Martin land
Land of which my ancestors bled 
Land of which my ancestors fled 
To the hills looking for freedom.
O sweet Saint Martin land 
Home of the one tete Lokay 
Yess the massa chop off her breast. 
 
O my sweet Saint Martin land
Where my people were dropped off at Galis Bay 
Cut the sugar in all the estates 
Working the salt ponds, from Grandcase Great Bay. 
 
But O, my sweet Saint Martin land
Home of the free 
With a Brim 
With a Shoot 
And one serious Ponum, Ponum, Ponum. 
 
Where we shout through the hills 
Abe a mancipation' 
But my O sweet Saint Martin land 
Still bounded by the colonizers hand. 
Tug and pull, cry and yell
Songs of pain
Songs of sadness 
Songs of resistance 
Songs of freedoms
 
As our people move through the land
Praying for our rights 
Our sweet Saint Martin land 
Comforts us at night 
No matter how far we go 
How long we go 
O sweet Saint Martin Land, 
Will always be home. 


Before we officially end the 11 Days of SXM, I would like to say thank you!
A major thank you and shout out to our Sxm Creatives: Double D, Fafiélla, Resma, Guilda, Jharna, Zahra, Neha, Bianca and Shanica and Lisa (Say Less Sis). Thank you for allowing me for using my small platform to show appreciation! To the rest of you creatives, be on the lookout because it isn’t over. 

Big thanks to my parents, who contributed greatly to the food section, especially with the Johnny Cakes! 

Major thanks so my friends in my WhatsApp contacts. I appreciate every repost and share that you’ve done in the past and over these last 10 days. 

A super-duper, duper thank you to two of my friends, Nian and Tori. If it wasn’t for your guys countless support, advice and recommendations, this would’ve not happened. Thank you so much once again!

And to all the followers and readers, whether old or new, Thank You! There wouldn’t be any IslandGalTing without you guys! 

Well, that’s the end of 11 DAYS OF SAINT MARTIN 2020, and I’m looking forward to see you for my next post!

With much love, 
IslandGalTing 

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1. Year of inception : 

2019

2. Favorite quote: 

Shanica’s quote: “ Though she be but little she is fierce.” - William Shakespeare 

Lisa’s quote: “What is meant for you, won’t pass by you”

3. Five words that come to mind with the letter S (the first letter of your name SayLessSis): 

Silly, Sensitive, Spicy, Smart, Socially-conscious 

4. Tell us more about SayLessSis. What is it and how did it come about?

Sayless Sis Podcast is a platform that serves as a safe space to highlight and discuss taboo topics while advocating for the people of our island. From since our high school days we have always joked about having our own Youtube channel, but that never happened. S/o to procrastination! We also frequently discuss bizarre topics amongst ourselves and thought maybe it might be a good idea to record ourselves doing it. Therefore, after taking the time out to write down our strategy for our podcast in December 2018, we finally decided to launch Say Less Sis.

Over the course of almost two years, Say Less Sis podcast has transformed from just two friends who dared to share their dark humour and quirky personalities to the world and has become a platform where we have managed to create three series that includes highlighting our St. Martin people and our unique dialect. Additionally, we also dabble a bit in philanthropy work where were hosted an Insta-thon that raised 1500 euros for the families affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.


5. What are you most proud of achieving with this platform?

 We are most proud of creating a community that showcases the talent and knowledge that our St. Martin people has to offer. Our platform is nothing without our people and we’re grateful that we are able to use our skills as a tool to connect and motivate St. Martin people no matter where they are in the world.


6. What vision do you have for SayLessSis in the future?

Our vision is that our platform serves as a source of motivation for young people, whether they are from St. Martin or not (the rest of the Dutch Caribbean we see you too!) to continue striving to be the best version of themselves. We hope that by openly highlighting and discussing themes and topics we can also inspire people to dare to be different, think outside the box, question norms and values that have been passed down to us from our elders and push to break generational curses.

7. Also if you have other platforms where people can find you that you would like to share, please tell us those as well (maybe Apple podcasts, Facebook?)

If you would like to connect with us you can follow us on 
IG: saylesssis
Twitter: saylesssispod
Facebook: Say Less Sis Podcast
Spotify: Say Less Sis
Apple Podcast: Say Less Sis

http://linktr.ee/Saylesssis

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Bianca Dijkhoffz was born and raised on the beautiful island of Sint Maarten and started dancing from the age of 5. She moved to NYC at the age of 18 to pursue her dream as a professional dancer. Ever since then Bianca has become very popular on social media for her Caribbean Fusion style. She can be spotted in music videos from Sean Paul and Chris Brown, and has performed with various artists like Afro B to Hood Celebrityy and more. One of her top goals is to move to California to further her career, perform at award shows and music festivals, feature in more movies and music videos, and tour the world with a large scale artist. Coming from such a small island, she would have never thought her dreams could become a reality. With all her hard work & persistence she has achieved so much and will continue to do so! 

Fun fact: Bianca is also a pianist and a DJ!

You can follow her instagram @bb_bad.

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Hi, my name is Dominique, but artistically I go by ‘Zahra’. Though born in the Netherlands, I have been raised and have family ties to St. Maarten dating back over five generations. I have been exposed to music for as long as I can remember, and have a very musical family (who play the steelpan, trumpet, guitar, and sing). It was after singing in the youth group choir at my church that I realized how much I loved to sing. From the age of 12 onwards, singing and music was not just something I did, but rather something tied to an experience. I went on to sing in various contexts (In the church, shows at the belvedere community center, Kids United for a St. Maarten’s day song special, and in a group representing St. Maarten’s behalf for the inauguration for king Willem Alexander), but those were situations in which I was pushed to do so.
Moving to the Netherlands to further my studies brought about a lot of developmental change in me, including being more comfortable expressing myself and letting my voice be heard. I continued to turn to music in my first years here, through highs and lows. I came about making my own music quite recently after my upstairs neighbor reached out after hearing me sing. We eventually got to making music together, and the rest is history. With his help, I came out with my first single “If you were mine” in May of 2020. And I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming support and feedback I received from my peers and fellow St. Maarteners. It has given me the motivation to continue my craft and to make music that others can relate to, the same way that music has always been there for me
 
Social media handles
Instagram: @itszahramusic
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/35fkuyCX4P20oFLC2GwTr6
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5fqt55QpsbqhGDEfrXLUjg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thezahramusic

Latest projects 
My newest song “In my head” was released in July of this year. I am currently working on songwriting for myself and for the media platform DAY10, which collaborates with various up and coming artists in achieving their music goals. Besides music, I am also pursuing a master’s degree in Work, Organizational, and Personnel psychology.

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CaptivArtSXM is an upcoming art and design business based in Saint Martin. Although a relatively new entrepreneurial venture, our art and designing services provided by the owner, Neha Soneji and volunteers, has been an ongoing initiative, where design skills and expertise have been operating as freelance, for more than 10 years. CaptivArtSXM specializes in mural art, acrylics, watercolors, and Adobe design programs (Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, Lightroom). We strive to provide our potential clients with design solutions and artistic flair to uplift any business or surrounding environment.

My social media handle is @Captivartsxm (Instagram) CaptivartSXM (Facebook)
I take questions and orders through telephone, email, and social media direct messages.

My social media shows the projects I have done in the past. My largest project was the DRIP Wall mural on Backstreet, Philipsburg. It is a tribute to the diversity of our island. It tells a story of acceptance and cohabitation of the melting pot of cultures that make up our island. 
My other projects were portraits and face studies with acrylic paint. I have done watercolor landscapes and faces before as well!

At the moment I am painting 2 murals: one for a company and one for a personal living space (A galaxy wall).
At the same time, I do commission work at request of clients.

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On a journey to define who he is to himself, make an everlasting impact, and put his island on the map for more than just tourism, Guilda uses his passion for rap to discover in more ways than one. Making songs that range from positive/uplifting, feel-good party music to straight-up hip hop bangers. This chameleon type skill helps him to stand out as a songwriter as well. It's hard to compare him to anyone, he's his own artist that can switch it up with an island twist. Guilda is a student of the craft, always willing to learn, setting goals, and growing day by day to achieve them. 

You can listen to his latest project: “But I’m still growing” featuring DigitZz on all streaming platforms! You can also access all of his music through this link. https://beacons.ai/guilda_iy


Guilda also uses his platform to uplight and highlight other creatives just like him. He has partnered with @saylesssis on a series called “Soualiga women in Power.” This show highlights young, dynamic women of colour from the island of Sint Maarten by giving them a platform to share/sell their products. 

Follow him on his journey, literally, follow him. There is no limit for this MC!  
Social Media
Instagram @guilda_iy 
Twitter @guilda_iy 
Facebook @Guildasxmboy

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The official national dance of Saint Martin is one of the most expressive, groundbreaking, and vibrant dance that’s out there. The Ponum, originated around the time of emancipation, as former slaves used the arts of dance and song to express the pain and joys of freedom. Since then, the dance was regularly performed after salt harvest, or at parties. Unfortunately, throughout the mid 20th century, the dance was almost lost as the focus of the island shifted more to developing to cater to tourists than preserving our island’s culture. During the ’90s and early 2000s, the dance was brought back to the forefront of the island through the efforts of the then Imbali Dance School (now known as the National Institue of Arts). Now, students are taught the dance as well as the important history behind it.  

Sint Maarten Unesco alongside the Department of Communication partnered to document the importance and the history of the Ponum dance in this short documentary: https://fb.watch/1A0YJsOlca/. If you haven’t seen this before, I urge everyone to watch it as it gives great insight into The Ponum dance. 

I titled this post, a lesson from the Ponumn Dance for a very specific reason. We are currently living in a peak era where the majority of the world is fighting for their basic human rights. As the Black Lives Matter movement set precedent for a fight in governmental change and how they treat their populations. The continent of Africa has seen a plight of protests urging for human rights as well. Now you might be asking, what does that have to do with us in Saint Martin, and what does that have to with the Ponum? 

In the context of our beautiful island, we have to remember something, we are still two colonies under the Netherlands and France. No matter how much more ‘power’ we got or what fancy title we have, we are still under the control of the white man. For many of us who are younger millennials or gen z, we are only truly now being able to see how these powers behave. A lot of our eyes were opened after the response we got from hurricane Irma. While military forces were there to aid after the hurricane, it took a long time (on both sides) for the monetary aid to be provided. The same issues that we are seeing with the Covid-19 pandemic. It just proves that to these powers that the value of items is more important to them than the livelihood of the people. 

The Ponum is a dance of freedom but also tells the pain of the enslaved. The dance was used as a way of liberation and push for new change for our ancestors. Of course, after 200+ years, we haven’t received the full freedom that is needed, but the main goal is to strive for it. 

So the lesson from the Ponum dance is liberation. Let’s quickly break it down and explain how it can be utilized in the context of Saint Martin. 

Liberation (noun): the act or process of freeing a country or a person from the control of somebody else. [Oxford English Dictionary]

So I know you are saying to yourself, not another discussion on independence. I am here to tell you this is not what we are going for right now. While the end goal is to become an independent country, we have to sit down and sort out the trash in our back yard (Alexa play Backyard Dutty by King Kembe). Every year we love to sing “emancipate yourselves from mental slavery’ but what are you actually doing to break that. For so long we’ve held tight to a lot of colonial views and mindsets that have been utilized to morph the characteristics of our ancestors. We love to preach that we are all for the liberation of our people, but we’ve been stuck in the same ways. Here are some ways we can clean up our back yard: 

1. Dash way the bigotry. I don’t care what your father says, what your pastor says, what you think the bible says, it’s time for all of us to sit down and unlearn all the bigotry behaviors we’ve adopted in our lives. As an island that loves to boast about our diversity, we do not accept a lot of the diversity that isn’t race-related. Your homophobia and transphobia? Check da. Your whorephobia? Check da. Your anti-blackness (and yes Black people can be anti-black)? Check da. 
   
2. Leave Charity behind and adopt Mutual-Aid. A lot of times, older persons would tell us about their neighbour would always have their back and I believe that this is one of the few times we have to go back to an old way. In our community there a lot of us that is struggling to survive. It’s not just the ones that look ‘poor’. With the cost of living on the island so high and the minimum wage so low, we have to help feed each other, cloth each other etc. You might say, but this sounds like charity! It’s not because it’s I help you, you help me. (a good example is @ictcommunityfridge). 
   

While this isn’t everything that would push us forward to our main goal, these are some personal things that we can work on. Our institutions such as government and schools have to be held accountable. Simple questions such as the way students handle at learning institutions, to our environment, to the lack of livable wages are ones that we have to continuously ask our elected officials. If it’s one thing we aren’t great at is holding the politicians we like accountable, and that also needs to change now. 

Sidenote, the island being super capitalistic is a major issue, but that’s for another post. 

To wrap up, the Ponum dance urges liberation. In order to be liberated, we have to do some self-reflection and decolonize the systems that govern us. From there, we can take the bigger step what is needed, independence. I also encourage everyone to watch the Parliament meetings that speak on decolonization and engage in conversations around this topic. 

That was Day 5, see you tomorrow for Day 6!!

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Fafiélla is a Toronto-based alternative R&B/Neo-Soul/Hip-Hop artist who believes that everyone should be themselves unapologetically and express their thoughts freely. She encourages her listeners by being blunt in her music in hopes of sparking the same sense of freedom within them. This singer/songwriter was born and raised in the Caribbean and moved to Toronto to pursue her music career. Having musicians and various multi-disciplinary artists in her family, Fafiélla has always had a strong passion for art. Music has given Fafiélla a sense of freedom that she has never been able to experience any other way. She hopes to inspire her listeners to be themselves without ever having to explain to the world “why”. “Don’t be what’s in the box, be what surrounds it.” 

Social Media: https://linktr.ee/fafiella

Latest Project: Debut single - SummerDaze

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One day, I spontaneously decided to talk to my computer. No, seriously. I just talked and
talked and talked. I realized that I like talking to my computer, we became friends. Then it hit
me. A podcast would be a great idea! That’s how I created the idea for my Podcast Series –
Alli Connects Podcast.
We live in an era where we connect through our phones, our apps, our computers (how
ironic), but I grew tired of having superficial conversations. So, the main aim of my podcast
series is to connect on topics that we might not talk about in everyday life. I want to open up
and really communicate about life lessons, perceptions, opinions and judgments about things
that we might brush off everyday.
Aside from all the seriousness of life, I also want to have a good time while connecting. So, I
thought it would be fitting to not make the podcast just about the rawness of life, but also
about the things we love most: food, jokes, music, creativity, positivity and growth!
You can listen to Alli Connects Podcast on Spotify, Radio Public, Google Podcasts and
RedCircle.

Follow my series on social media:
Facebook: Alli Connects Podcast
Instagram: @alliconnectspodcast

​Some recent episodes:
A Journey Through Music - with Rico Blvck
Growing Up Muslim & Adapting to Western Culture – with Anonymous Guest
Unmasking the Core of Our Relationship – with Dimitri Halley

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This recipe is really special to me because it was the first thing I’ve mastered as I started to venture into the kitchen. It has become my trademark to the point I’ve made it every holiday and I get special requests to make a batch for people. 

So here’s the scallop potato. 

Wa yuh need: 

• Potatoes 
• Heavy cream 
• Fresh thyme 
• Shredded Cheese (a lot of cheese) 
• Salt 
• Black pepper 
• Garlic powder 
• Paprika 
• Cayenne pepper  

How to di ting: 

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash and peel potatoes. Slice potatoes as thin as possible (or use the thin blade on a mandolin) and soak in salted water to prevent browning. 
2. Add potatoes to a pot with salted water and bring to a boil until potatoes are slightly cooked, In a bowl, mix in the heavy cream, thyme, seasonings and cheese. Grease a 9x13 pan with butter. 
3. Spoon enough cream to cover the bottom of the pan. Layer potatoes, cream and cheese until the pan is full. Sprinkle a thick layer of cheese and sprinkle paprika on top.
4.  Bake for 30 mins covered and 30 mins uncovered. Let it rest, then cut and nyam. ​

I hope you enjoy the recipe. Feel free to make this dish and tag us on both twitter and instagram @islandgalting.  Can't wait to see you for Day 4!
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Double D is an extraordinary DJ, producer, audio engineer, and radio personality based in St. Martin. Being known for his versatility and creativity, his style is truly unique within the previously mentioned disciplines.

Born Daniel A. Dormoy on St. Martin, French West Indies, Daniel grew up with the aspirations to become a musician. With a family that has a background in music, he was set on the right path.

Double D is proficient in genres such as: Zouk, R&B, Hip Hop, Dancehall, EDM, Soca, Bachata, Merengue, Reggaeton, Dembow, and more. He has played at venues such as The Festival Village, Soggy Dollar Bar, Tantra, The Platinum Room, Sky Beach Lounge, 3 Amigos, and Lotus.

He states that his influences are: Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, Mannie Fresh, Noah “40” Shabib, Mr. Probz, Tito Beatz, Swanks, DJ Wilson, DJ Outkast, DJ Premier, DJ Big Boss, & DJ Puffy.
Radio Personalities: Lady Grace, Big Boi, Gee Money, and Sagan.


To learn more about Double D, and to check all his latest works out, follow him all over social media:

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/doubledsovalid

Snapchat:
https://www.snapchat.com/add/doubledsovalid

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/doubledsovalid

Twitter:
https://www.twitter.com/doubledsovalid

SoundCloud:
https://www.soundcloud.com/doubledsovalid

Mixcloud:
https://www.mixcloud.com/doubledsovalid

Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/doubledsovalid

For more info, email Double D at: [email protected]

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Thank you once again for join us for DAY 2 of the 11 DAYS OF SXM. Make sure to follow our social medias @islandgalting for more updates. Looking forward to see you on day 3.