Queen’s Garden brings groove to Fort Bay

The Daily Herald writes that Queen’s Gardens Resort organized an evening of live-music at Deep End bar and restaurant in Fort Bay Saturday evening, adding a spicy Latin flavour to Saba’s jazzy music scene. The well-attended happening featured live-music performances by frequent Saba guest MiekMiek van Rooijen, a lively saxophonist, joined for the first time by vocalist Marita Blijden. Both artistes are from St. Maarten. Deep End is located at former In Two Deep restaurant, which was transformed by Queen’s Garden managers into a classy extension of the resort.

The breakfast and lunch bar cooperates with the dive centre downstairs, with the resort shuttling guests for dive experiences there. With fresh marine themed colours, driftwood decorations and an accessible dive-themed menu, the new managers transformed the place into an upscale, yet laid-back establishment.

Born in Holland, MiekMiek is a household name in Saba with recurrent performances at the posh Queen’s Gardens Resort. This was her first performance “grooving in the bay” under the full moon. She loves the island, confessing her passport is filling up with Saba stamps. Asked how she came to settle on St. Maarten, she said she “ran away” from Holland travelling the world. She lived in Puerto Rico and learned many languages before establishing herself on St. Maarten some four years ago. She is still a “migratory bird,” flying from the Caribbean during the hurricane season. Her cosmopolitan lifestyle is reflected in her performances. She is not just singing in English and Dutch, but also in Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, French, Creole and even Greek. Her saxophone repertoire mainly consists of Latin music, such as Salsa, Merengue, Bachata and Zouk, but also of Funk and, of course, Jazz. This was Blijden’s first Saba gig and only her second visit after many years. Born and raised on Curaçao, Blijden studied in Holland and lived there for 23 years before settling on St. Maarten. She loved music since childhood and recorded a single early in her youth with assistance of a supportive teacher. Her passion for music blossomed and opened many doors. She sings with Latin Sugar at various hotels and cafés in St. Maarten and hopes to become a regular in Saba as well.