The music and dance of today's Curaçao draws heavily on outside traditions – including rock, pop, merengue, calypso, reggae, salsa, and cha-cha-cha – incorporating Papiamentu words and rhythms of African origin to create an altogether original style. The island’s eclectic music and nightlife scene was recently documented in a fascinating New York Times article titled, Curaçao After Dark.

Curaçao is also home to the Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival, which has featured local talent as well as international recording stars such as Prince, Carlos Santana, Alicia Keys, Sergio Mendes, John Legend, Juanes, Ruben Blades and Stevie Wonder. For information visit www.curacaonorthseajazz.com.