The Children’s Music Week celebrated its fourth edition with great success. This past Saturday evening, ACE Foundation closed the week with a spectacular concert titled “Dream Became Reality.” A total of 15 children took the stage at Creative World in Tera Cora and gave an unforgettable performance.
The highlight of the night was J-Sync Music, the youth group led by the legendary Xemio Jacobs. They presented a diverse show with brand new songs and local hits such as “Indjan Arowak.” The ACE Teens from Bonaire and the Jacobs brothers shined in their performances. The audience reacted with great emotion to the impressive talent of our youth. It was beautiful to witness how the cultures of the youth from Curaçao and Bonaire united and, in just two days, created a wonderful show together.
Before the main concert, three young talents – Eithrich Torregrossa, Shendrick Smith, and Fari Domacasse – performed their own original songs combining rap and spoken word, created during the one-week program.
Additionally, the Gang di Arte youth crafted instruments from recycled materials and made artwork inspired by the theme “Dream.” Schools also participated actively with class assignments designed around music and the idea that “children should listen to children’s music.” Some schools focused on dance, others on singing, rhythm workshops, or creating instruments out of recycled materials.
Unfortunately, due to lack of funding, ACE Foundation couldn’t organize the week on a larger scale. Still, through creativity, they managed to bring attention to the importance of music in children’s lives. ACE hopes that next year the government will fully support the initiative and officially declare Music Week as a recognized event for the island.
In the same spirit, ACE also launched a campaign titled “Children Must Listen to Children’s Music,” focused on protecting the healthy development of children through appropriate music. ACE will continue encouraging local songwriters to create more music for children and has introduced Kiddie Beats Radio, an online radio station designed especially for children and families. It can be streamed via the Zeno app on phones, tablets, or TVs.
This year, ACE Foundation celebrates its 5th anniversary and continues to work toward the healthy development of children through arts and culture.
Special thanks go to MCB Bonaire, Fundashon Wega di Number Bonaire, Fonds Cultuur Participatie, Cultuurfonds Caribisch Gebied, Samenwerkende Fondsen, and Oranje Fonds. Thanks also to all the radio stations that helped broadcast children’s music – especially Live 99.9 and Breezy FM.
