Belize has long been known as a vibrant hub for art, dance, and music. There is perhaps nobody who better personifies the nation’s cultural connection than Barefoot Rentals and Services’ Local Belizean of the Month, Marlyn Vansen – an indie artist from the area.
Ms. Vansen’s musical career began at an early age. Having sung her first few notes as a little baby girl, she soon began showing off her impressive talents to her church congregation every Sunday night. These opportunities to sing in front of a crowd lit a spark in Marlyn, who then decided that she wanted to perform as often as she possibly could.
While many artists are driven by money or fame, Ms. Vansen chooses to follow her own own mind, heart, and soul when it comes to her music. When discussing her artistic abilities, she says, “It’s literally who I am and all I’ve ever known myself to be.”
Indeed, this statement certainly seemed to be true when Marlyn was in school. She says that although it was important for her to get an education in case her dream of becoming a musician did not come true, her mind was often distracted by her music – which in turn caused her grades to slip. “I was honestly only focused enough to pass without having to repeat any class,” she says.
Ms. Vansen recalls an incident from her time in high school which caused her to get into trouble with her teacher. She explains that school administrators “had to ask that I leave my guitar in the office” because she was proving to be a distraction in the classroom. As soon as a lesson had finished or she had completed her assignments, she would pull out her guitar and start practicing.
“There are too many negative things happening in our world,” Marlyn says. She hopes that her music can “bring something positive like joy and a smile to the face of some people,” and that she loves “being able to see peoples face light up because of what I’m doing.”
Here at Barefoot Rentals and Services, we salute Marlyn Vansen for her dedication to her craft and her contributions to music. We hope that she continues to perform and bring smiles to people in Belize and around the world for many years to come.