{"id":143542,"date":"2026-05-26T07:15:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T07:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/st-maarten-singer-kenyo-brings-a-message-of-unity-to-opening-of-reflecting-on-covid-expo-in-brabant-friday\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T07:15:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T07:15:12","slug":"st-maarten-singer-kenyo-brings-a-message-of-unity-to-opening-of-reflecting-on-covid-expo-in-brabant-friday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/st-maarten-singer-kenyo-brings-a-message-of-unity-to-opening-of-reflecting-on-covid-expo-in-brabant-friday\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Maarten singer Kenyo brings a ‘message of unity’ to opening of Reflecting on Covid expo in Brabant Friday"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Marvin Hokstam<\/em><\/p>\n

AMSTERDAM — When Dutch king Willem Alexander officiates the opening of the roving memorial \u201cReflecting on Covid\u201d on Friday September 29, 2023, in the province of Brabant, one face will stand out on stage: that of St. Maarten singer Kenyo Baly. \u00a0The charismatic 27-year-old performer with the velvet baritone will be singing the song \u201cHometown Glory by Adele\u201d to a kingdom-wide audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I feel a sense of pride to be asked and to be able to contribute to such an honourable event,\u201d Kenyo said in an exclusive interview over the weekend. \u201cBeing a representative of St. Maarten and the wider Caribbean \u2026 it fills me with a sense of happiness that I can do that with my gift. I am going to sing and project, and show that sense of patriotism that we share here in St. Maarten. In the spirit of unity that this event stands for. In the spirit of healing through music. Music Is universal.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n \"stilstaan\"<\/div>\n <\/figure><\/div>\n\n <\/article>

In the roving exposition \u201cReflecting on Covid\u201d that opens on Friday at the provinciehuis <\/em>of Noord-Brabant, 40 Kingdom residents look back on people who left an impression on them during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

A Kingdom Information Service a press release explained that the expo is an initiative by the cabinet to look back on the consequences that the corona crisis has had on society. The exhibition is organized by the National Committee to reflect on corona, chaired by Arno Brok, the King’s Commissioner in the Province of Frysl\u00e2n. Event organizer Bee-Agency is in charge of the programming.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe corona pandemic was the greatest crisis in the Kingdom of the past 75 years. Corona affected everyone in a different way. There was solidarity, gratitude and love, but also loneliness, fear and anger. The 40 stories listed in the exhibition are accompanied by photos from the corona years. Each person interviewed is asked one central question: who do you think about in relation to covid?\u201d the press release stated.<\/p>\n

The opening ceremony on Friday is framed with stories, music, dance and an official moment of reflection. Dutch broadcaster NOS will stream the program live nationally, including in the Dutch Caribbean islands.<\/p>\n

After opening on Friday, the exhibition will travel to various provinces. The intention is for the memorial to also travel to the Caribbean islands, in a version made specifically to appeal to the region. The opening of that expo will be conducted by the Chairman of the National Committee when he travels to the islands later this year.<\/p>\n

\n \"kenyo\"<\/div>\n <\/figure><\/div>\n\n <\/article>

St. Maarten singer Kenyo was approached to be part of the program of the opening ceremony, as the exhibition explicitly set out to be as inclusive as possible. The 40 stories in the expo include stories from stories from several ethnic communities.<\/p>\n

AFRO Magazine delivered several stories from the Black community. Journalists from the islands contributed with stories from the Dutch Caribbean. Including a singer in the line-up fit seamlessly in the goal for inclusivity.<\/em><\/p>\n

A singer from jump<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Kenyo considers it an honor. \u201cI have been singing as long as I can remember. Music was always prominent in our house. Apostle Romney from Chirstian assembly in La Savane in Saint Martin is my great uncle. My grandmother and everybody in my family were always singing in church. My mom sang in a choir and my dad was a musician. So basically, I started right out of kindergarten. That\u2019s when I fell in love with singing. It was inevitable that I would make music my profession,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Born on the Dutch side and raised on French side, he is fluent in both languages that are predominantly spoken on the islands. He took part in singing competitions from a young age, but it was when he relocated to New York in 2011 at age 15 to live with his aunt that he started winning. \u201cI attended Uniondale high school in Long Island, where they have a good music program. After I sang for the director, he included me in the school choir; within three months we made national news when FOX 5 news came to interview us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Image<\/h3>
\n \"fox\"<\/div>\n <\/figure><\/div>\n\n <\/article>

Kenyo returned to St. Maarten in 2013, enrolled at Learning Unlimited high school, where he started and directed the \u00a0school choir that won the local \u201cInterscholastic Idols\u201d singing competition, while he also won as a single performance act. \u00a0Prior to that he won the Teen Times talent competition and the Telcel breakthrough competition. Then he returned to New York in 2014 to finish high school and become the first black male lead vocalist to win FAME Showchoir competition at Lincoln centre in Manhattan.<\/p>\n

“After I graduated in 2014, I went professional. I worked with the producer Jus D from Barbados, created my first few Soca songs with which I entered the Soca Rumble Carnival Competition in St. Maarten in 2017. In won in the groovy category with the song \u201cWho yuf fuh\u201d. That is my biggest single to date.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kenyo went on to win the carnival title the following year again, with the song \u201cIn frontah me\u201d and in 2019 he competed in the Soca competition for the last time, ending as first runner up in the groovy category. \u201cThen I started diving into other genres. I was kind of over the Soca genre. I wanted to broaden my horizon, so I tried out different producers. I went back to Barbados, travelled throughout the world, went through different hurdles to come back to where I am now, in a good scene that I am confident with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0He said that he is dabbling in different styles, perfecting and honing his songwriting skills. \u201cI am now into a genre that I call Afrosoul. That sound of the Caribbean and soul music that is undoubtedly influenced by Africa, has always been out there. But I am making it mine, as I am influenced by Caribbean music influenced and soul is in my voice. I put those two genres together. Afrosoul is out there and I am owning it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He added that he will show how much he owns it, when his next single comes out in the next month, entitled IBD1. \u201cIt\u2019s on an EP that I have been working on for the past two years. It will contain 6 to 7 songs, all with a mature sound.\u00a0 It\u2019s different from what people are used to from me. I have had experiences in life, in love, with family. This EP is me telling my story, about finding myself. It\u2019s almost like a journal.\u201d<\/p>\n

And, he said, being in the line-up of the opening ceremony of the \u201cReflecting on Covid\u201d expo, is in line with the evolution of his artistry.\u00a0 When he was approached, the initial intention was for him to be streamed life, singing from St. Maarten, but he took the initiative to be present at the opening. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThat felt so much better to share my gift at this event that has such an honourable concept. It is also why I chose to sing \u201cHometown glory\u201d by Adele. It fits in the theme of reflecting in the life experiences we have all had during covid., It\u2019s a song about coming back, about that sentiment of missing a part of you. Touches a lot of topics.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Unity\u00a0<\/h3>\n

Kenyo had his own reflections on covid. \u201cWe\u2019ve all been affected by the pandemic. Many of us have lost loved ones.\u201d<\/p>\n

He recalled being stuck in London for six months when airport all around the world were closed during the lockdowns. \u201cIt was hard being in a place that I wasn\u2019t used to. I caught covid when I was there. It makes me appreciate being able to share my talents and being in touch with people. Being able to travel.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued. \u201cRepresenting our people at this event makes me feel a sense of pride and a sense of responsibility. The experience of Covid was unique for people all over and we all share a similarity in the loss, grief, suffering we experience. And there is another side of the uniqueness. In 2017 we went through Hurricane Irma in St. Maarten and by 2019 we were still recovering from that”<\/p>\n

The video was shot in St. Maarten and displays the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma on St. Maarten and the Caribbean. Since then, St.Maarten and her resilient people have now bounced back.”<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

“And then we went through Covid.\u201d<\/p>\n

The singer said that Covid exposed a spirit of togetherness in St. Maarten.<\/p>\n

As we have done after hurricanes hit us, we came together as a people. We are one island with two nations, Dutch and French side, but people have always been able to cross the borders because we are one people with family and friends on both sides. And then the Governments decided to close the borders during covid. For a brief period we needed to have a pass to go from one side to the next. It was a sad moment and we could not live that way. So we got our island back by fighting for it. There were demonstrations. We held a unity march and the ban on traveling on our island was lifted,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n \"St.<\/div>\n <\/figure><\/div>\n\n <\/article>
St. Maarten and Saint Martin residents during the unity march, some waving the island’s unity flag. Photo: @John Halley, The Daily Herald\u00a0<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>

He concluded that performing in the Netherlands, in a sense will reinforce the resilience of the islands. \u201cThat\u2019s the message I am bringing. I am coming with a mind of resilience and a message of overcoming. A message of unity.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

AMSTERDAM — When Dutch king Willem Alexander officiates the opening of the roving memorial \u201cReflecting on Covid\u201d on Friday September 29, 2023, in the province of Brabant, one face will stand out on stage: that of St. Maarten singer Kenyo Baly. The charismatic 27-year-old performer with the velvet baritone will be singing the song \u201cHometown Glory by Adele.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":143543,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2653],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[2583],"class_list":{"0":"post-143542","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-article"},"authors":[{"term_id":2583,"user_id":1,"is_guest":0,"slug":"mermar","display_name":"mermar","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b97554d899a7ce8df2bc286c2f73beda56ebbc97d5d9ced74f7a04498e0fb0d3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=143542"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":143860,"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143542\/revisions\/143860"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/143543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=143542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=143542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=143542"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=143542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}