Islander puts depth in tales of past, lost identity

STORYTELLING is what keeps history alive.

No matter how painful the past, oral history is often the only thing that reminds people of where they really come from, and one man has taken decades of pain inherited by thousands of Afro-Curaçaoans international with his theatrical storytelling.

Roland Colastica is a theatrical performer who tells the tale of his ancestors, who were sold into a life of slavery hundreds of years ago.

His piece, titled Desire is a interactive show which incorporates storytelling, singing and acting into one act. He performed at the Prestwich Ossuary in the CBD last night.

Colastica is from Curaçao, a small island off the north coast of Venezuela, which is still a constituent country of the Netherlands.

In 1634, the Dutch had traded West Africans to the Caribbean where they were not only forced into a life horrific slavery, but also grappled with losing their African identity.

“Six hundred thousand slaves were forced to leave their homes in Ghana and other parts of Africa to make the horrific journey to the Caribbean, where they were sold to plantations in most of the island of Suriname, Brazil and the southern US.

“These stories, combined with those the ancestors of the former white rulers left behind, enriched even more the treasure box of our oral stories,” said Colastica.

The 61km long island offers good health care and other public services to its people today, said Colastica, but many people still struggle with their identity.

He was invited to perform at the Wushwini Uhuru Community Art Festival in Durban earlier this month.

After last night’s performance, Colastica will take his show to Dubai, Argentina and Chile.