Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine January 2020 | Page 178

W
hen it comes
to music, the
Caribbean is filled
with its sweet
sounds, packaged in various
ways. Some captivate with
pulsating soca beats, others
with rhythmic calypso, soulful
gospel, and sometimes a skillful
blend of all of these and more,
smoothly combined to make
the Caribbean region resound
with the happy sounds of
music.
On the island of St. Eustatius,
or Statia as it is called, like
most young people, Ulyssese
Lopes (known as Twizzle),
was enamored with music
from an early age. Born in the
Netherlands, he moved to
Statia at age nine, completed
high school, then moved back
to the Netherlands to attend
college in 2008. Although he
resides in the Netherlands,
Statia is still home!
special attention to artists like
Snoop Dogg, Cassidy, Kxng
Crooked, Notorious Big – who
all influenced him in some way.
Throughout high school,
Today, Twizzle is the proud
Twizzle loved played basketball. owner of the independent
Evenings after school and
record label, “Darkside Muzik”.
many Sundays would find
him and his friends bouncing
What began as a love for
around a ball on the courts,
reciting lyrics, and an intense
competing against each other, interest in Hip Hop led to
just for fun – basketball was
the creation of his own
the favourite pastime for many independent music group
youths on the island. But the
when he moved back to
love of basketball could not
the Netherlands to study
overshadow his love of music!
Information Technology in
Many would remember him
2008. Under the guidance of
constantly reciting the lyrics of his cousin BLB who had his
popular songs, especially Hip
own home studio, Twizzle
Hop, and he was eventually
extended his love for Hip Hop
given the nick-name “Twizzle”
lyric recital into writing his
by his friends. Always being
own lyrics, making demos,
curious about the musical
remixing popular BET songs
lifestyle and the swag of
and creating mixtapes, at times
the Hip Hop scene, he paid
collaborating with other artists