I am very sorry I missed this post by Peter Jordens earlier. Although it is too late to watch the July 5^th programming of “The Bare Feet,” our readers here may still be able to catch the 2:30am program on July 7, 2014 (early morning, or, for some of us. . . tonight!) See full post below:

Desi Dijkhuizen of Amigoe Express reports on an episode of The Bare Feet™ TV Series featuring the dance, music, history and language of Curaçao and Aruba which will be broadcast this weekend on NYC Life, the official TV station of New York City. The program is created and hosted by Mickela Mallozzi. As part of the Cine Curaçao Vloggers Film Fest last year [2013], Mickela visited Curaçao with five other vloggers, who described our island in very unique video spots. “To be honest, Curaçao was an island I didn’t know very much about, but it made such an impression on me the minute I arrived! The colors, the food, and especially the people were so genuine to me – and of course the history is so rich, I learned a lot about Curacao’s story,” says Mickela.

Her video about Curaçao gained so much attention and popularity, when it was shared (not only by locals, but also Curaçao lovers living abroad) on social media. Almost 8 minutes of history, music and dance has been showed in a very distinctive way. This week, The Bare Feet™ TV Series will broadcast an extension of her trip to the island in different episodes on NYC Life. “In this Dutch Caribbean episode, I feature the two islands of Aruba and Curacao, highlighting parts of the islands that most non-locals aren’t familiar with; for example the dance traditions, the arts, the music, and some of the language,” she remarks.

Bare Feet™ is a travel web series and blog featuring the different ways people celebrate together around the world, with a focus on dance, music and traditional culture. ”I’ve found that so far with my Bare Feet™ series, a lot of viewers are shocked by the amount of dance and music that is present in most international cultures. For example, after my Uzbekistan episode aired, I had so many viewers tell me they had no idea that Uzbekistan had such beautiful dances in that country, and that now they wished to visit the area! I’m hoping that people learn more about the Dutch Caribbean culture, especially that of Curaçao, and that they desire to experience the beauty of the island for themselves,” she says.

Her visit in Curaçao overlapped the 150th Anniversary of the abolition of slavery. She met the legendary Queen of Tumba, Elia Isenia, who taught her some of the lost slave work songs and dances. “I always like to include some modern and contemporary dance styles in my episodes, so I jumped in on a rehearsal with the dancers of Kombinashon Moderno, which was such a treat for me!” she adds with a huge smile.

To Mickela, Curaçao means exactly what it literally means — “the heart”. It is the heart of the Caribbean, with beauty, history, and truth at every step. Curaçao to her isn’t a place, but it acts as a living being that breaths with stories, dances, musicians, fishermen, merchants, families, friends, everything.

The Bare Feet™ Series in the Dutch Caribbean

On NYC Life

Saturday, July 5, 2014, 11:30 am

Monday, July 7, 2014, 2:30 am (early morning)

For the original article, go to http://amigoe.com/amigoe-express/interviews/186778-mickela-mallozi-curacao-is-unique-colorful-and-alive.

You can also watch the August 2013 program: ‘Curaçao: the heart of the Caribbean’ at http://travelbarefeet.com/2013/08/mickela-dances-around-the-island-of-curacao-as-part-of-cinecuracao or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxF9nKg26vg

Watch the May 2013 program ‘Aruba: One Happy Island’ at http://travelbarefeet.com/2013/05/send-mickela-back-to-aruba or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AHIwGCURak

[Photo credit: Diamond PR via Amigoe Express]