Edward “Eddie” Emanuel Violenus, a revered musician and master instrument-maker whose accordion helped define the sound of traditional St. Martin festive music, has died. He was 86.
Born in Aruba in 1939 to St. Martin parents, Violenus returned to the island where he would leave an indelible mark on its cultural landscape. He began playing music at age 16 and continued performing into his 80s, remaining active until shortly before his passing in February.
Violenus was an original member of Seteto Flores, a string band formed in the early 1960s that performed at house parties, hotels and formal events across the island. The group included musicians such as Karl “Tall Boy” Arndell, Jocelyn Arndell, Thomas Pemberton, Alberto Richardson, Arthur Mathew and Raymond Violenus.
Between 1962 and 1965, Seteto Flores merged with the horn section of music pioneer John C. Larmonie’s Philipsburg Community Brass Band to form Philipsburg Conjunto, also known as Larmonie & His Boys. The fusion reflected growing audience demand for a larger, amplified sound at popular public dances held at venues such as St. John’s Ranch and Vava Flanders’ theater in Grand Case.
As musical tastes evolved, Violenus became a cornerstone of Tanny & The Boys, founded in the late 1970s by band leader Nathaniel Davis, known as “Tanny.” The group endured in its traditional format and experienced a resurgence from the late 1980s through the early 2000s, performing locally and abroad.
Beyond his musicianship, Violenus was a skilled craftsman. Over the years, he built tamboras, marimbas and güiros for the band, and crafted Tanny’s banjo. His handiwork and accordion playing were preserved on Fête: The First Recording of Traditional St. Martin’s Festive Music (1992), arranged by Urmain “Youmay” Dormoy and produced by House of Nehesi Publishers. His performances also feature prominently on Classic Tanny & The Boys – String Band Music from St. Martin (2000), the group’s first CD release.
Family and friends recalled his creativity and resourcefulness. In a Facebook tribute, Rene Violenus described watching his great-uncle transform everyday materials into instruments — curing goat skin for drums, shaping old milk tins into güiros, and crafting marimbas in the yard of his Sucker Garden home, where musicians frequently gathered.
Retired businessman Leo Friday also remembered Violenus as a talented athlete who played catcher for the Caterpillars baseball team.
Violenus’ cultural influence extended beyond music. He and fellow band members appeared in paintings by leading St. Martin artists, including Ruby Bute, Cynric Griffith and Ras Mosera. In 2021, Bute’s pastel portrait of the accordionist was featured on the cover of the Caribbean Music edition of Interviewing the Caribbean, the peer-reviewed journal published by The University of the West Indies Press.
Edward “Eddie” Emanuel Violenus is remembered for musical excellence, craftsmanship and his enduring role in preserving St. Martin’s traditional string band heritage.
