Dande

Dande is Aruba's new year tradition and it works like this: a group of musicians with violin, guitar, wiri and drum go from house to house through the last night of the year and into January, and at each one the lead singer improvises verses wishing the household prosperity, health and good fortune for the coming year, naming the people in it. The household gives a donation, which the group collects in a hat, and everyone joins the chorus. The word comes from a Papiamento phrase meaning to go around. A national dande competition is broadcast each new year and the winning song is played for weeks.

What to look for

• The house-to-house serenade - improvised verses for each household.
• The wiri - the scraped metal instrument that carries the rhythm.
• The improvisation - verses naming the people in the house.
• The national competition - broadcast each new year.

When to go

The night of the thirty-first of December and the first days of January. It happens at private houses rather than in public, so encountering it means being invited or being in a neighbourhood when a group comes through. The televised competition is the accessible version.

Practical notes

This is a private household tradition and visitors are unlikely to encounter it unless staying with Arubans or in a residential neighbourhood at the right time. The verses are in Papiamento and improvised, so the point of them is lost on visitors. The televised competition is the realistic way to hear it.

Nearby

Neighbourhoods across the island; the competition is broadcast nationally.