Loekie Morales writes a story for the BNK gift book 2026

SINT MAARTEN/CURACAO - The Biblioteka Nashonal Kòrsou (BNK), National Library in Curaçao, has invited author Loekie Morales to contribute to the gift book for Siman di Ban Lesa 2026.

This collection of stories will be released as part of Children's Book Week which will take place from October 26 to 30, 2026. Children's Book Week 2026 focuses on performing arts with the theme: "Spot on!" "WAK MI BRIA!" with the subtitle: "Spòt riba mi, Spòt riba bo!" (Papiamentu).

As in previous years, the gift book will reach thousands of children on Curaçao.

This year, the BNK focuses on stories and poems centered on the performing arts. Theatre, singing, dancing, music, and performance, both on stage and behind the scenes, serve as the source of inspiration.

The gift book will feature imaginative stories and poems in which local Curaçaoan performing artists appear as characters in a magical world of imagination. These literary translations are intended as a tribute to their artistic contribution. The stories also serve as a source of inspiration for young readers.

These are emphatically not biographical accounts, but creative fiction that invites children to dream, discover, and be inspired by art and expression. The contribution must be original, contain Curaçaoan elements, and take place on Curaçao.

The story must be a fantasy/fiction story centered on the assigned character. The goal is for children to gain more insight into the person and their significance within the performing arts in an accessible and playful manner.

Author Loekie Morales was paired with Russell Soleana of the music group Issoko. In 1982, Soleana founded the group Issoco together with Ruchi Isidora and Juchi Cordoba. The name consisted of the first letters of their surnames. The group combines the mysterious sound of the benta with other traditional rhythms, poetry, and dance.

Under the leadership of Soleana, Issoco brought ‘Muzik di Zumbi’ to the world stage. The group performed in various countries. Later, the name was changed to Issoko.

Soleana received the Premio Boeli van Leeuwen 2025 in October 2025. He was awarded the distinction for his contribution to the preservation and renewal of the Curaçaoan musical heritage. For more than fifty years, Soleana has been working to preserve traditional Afro-Curaçaoan music. He is one of the masters of the traditional Benta instrument. The musician specializes in ‘Muzik di Zumbi’, a form of Afro-Curaçaoan music with roots in Africa.

The late Elis Juliana once admired Soleana’s creativity on the Benta musical instrument.

In addition to being a musician, Soleana is also a composer, teacher, and amateur anthropologist. He is recognized as a hero of Afro-Curaçaoan cultural heritage and a pioneer who inspires new generations to be proud of their spiritual and musical roots.

‘As an author with a specific assignment, the first thing you do is research the celebrity. The internet was my first portal. Yet I wanted to meet Soleana in person. I managed to do that with a few phone calls. We met in Otrabanda at the Emma Bridge. We had a meaningful conversation for nearly two hours, during which interesting similarities in our lives were discussed.

‘Thus, we discovered a striking resemblance in our mothers, both of whom were named Aura. Additionally, it turned out that our grandmothers had a significant influence on our upbringing. I immediately felt a kinship with Russel Soleana. I let his life story sink in, and a few weeks later, the story ‘When Solelé Listened to the Wind’ flowed from my pen. A short story about a boy, Solelé, who was sensitive to the sounds that nature produced around him.

‘He discovered that the wind told stories in its own way. He also discovered that the bamboo tube produced mystical sounds, depending on how he held it and blew along it… Anyway, you will be able to read the details as soon as the BNK story collection book is published. In any case, I am pleased with the approval of the story by the BNK committee and, above all, that my story has the blessing of the maestro himself, Russel Soleana,’ says Loekie Morales.