This week, the Out N About spoke with Bertaux Fleming, aka Mr. Rude, a well-known figure in St. Maarten’s entertainment industry. The talented producer and entrepreneur told us about his passion for all things music, events and Aleeze – and shared some motivational words for those looking to follow a similar path.
Please tell us some more about yourself.
My name is Bertaux Fleming. I was born in St. Maarten – in Middle Region to be exact. I left for Holland in 1995 to further my studies. There, I got involved in hosting some of the biggest St. Maarten parties in Rotterdam. I did that up to 2004, after which I embarked on creating my own record label called Rock ‘N Vibes. The biggest artist coming from the label was Ziggy Rankin. We had major success touring Europe and had deals with VP Records and Greensleeves Records. We also toured Africa.
Touring came to an abrupt stop in 2011 when I returned to St. Maarten and started Xtratight Entertainment, an event company based on quality, value and excitement. It exceeded patrons’ expectations. Xtratight is known for Fyah Under Yuh Foot, Night of the Hit Makers, Calypso Lounge, Koopavond and numerous other events. As an entrepreneur, I believe in self-reliance; I believe in pushing forward. One of my favourite mantras is: “Focus and follow on course until you achieve success.”
How did you get into the events industry?
I embarked on my first events-adventure during my school days here in MAVO as a youngster at Bute Hotel, organising my own house parties. When I went to Holland, I continued doing so, but the parties were on a bigger scale. Music has always been part of me. Getting into organising events was just another step for me to take. I enjoy it. One of my pleasures is making people happy by giving good productions. Because music is emotion, it makes people happy, but it could also make people sad. In this case, I love making them happy, and I love creating memorable events.
What is your favourite thing about your profession?
Overcoming challenges. I’m a very solution-oriented person – and in doing events, there are always situations where you have to find the best solutions. Whether it has to do with flights, late promotion or artists – so many things happen. It’s really exciting. I love to keep my mind moving, thinking about the best way to promote an event, what artists to bring in, how to surprise patrons. I really like the fact that you are never busy with just one thing. It is never repetitive – not one event replicates another. There is always a new challenge. If it’s not the weather, then it’s not being able to get the right artist – so the profession keeps me busy, and I love that. It’s like a game to me, trying to keep the patrons guessing. I love the element of surprise.
This year marks your 10th year working with St. Maarten Carnival. What was your favourite event of all time to organise?
Yes, 2023 has marked 10 years of Night of the Hit Makers during carnival season. Night of the Hit Makers has been the flagship show for St. Maarten Carnival for quite a few years. In my years, I would say all events were my favourite – every event had its own dynamic, every event had its own challenges. But if I may highlight one particular event, it would be the bringing of Kassav as one of the highlights of Hit Makers. Booking such a legendary band was a dream of mine, and to see that dream come true in 2019 was one of the greatest moments for me. Carnival is fun; carnival is bacchanal as they say. And being able to see masses come out and enjoy themselves brings me so much joy.
You opened ALEEZE Convention Center & Event Hall last year and have since had many exciting events there. Why did you open Aleeze and what can we expect from it this year?
I indeed opened Aleeze one year ago – time truly flies when you’re having fun – and when you’re busy – and that is exactly what Aleeze brought. Aleeze is actually a vision I came back from the Netherlands with in 2010. I wanted to own my own convention centre/ even hall/ concert hall, so it was definitely a long-term vision.
After being back in St. Maarten for over 10 years, and finally achieving it, this is of course a WOW! It feels premature, but I never doubted myself, which is why I took on the challenge and hit the ground running. The idea of Aleeze is to create a facility where we have state-of-the-art sound, lighting, video and treatment to bring some of the biggest artists to create memorable events. Not only that, but I also wanted to create a facility where other event organisers could feel comfortable hosting an event. Because at Aleeze, it’s indoors, there is no stress to find all the necessary equipment – it’s all in one spot.
We have had quite a few events there that caught a lot of attention. In our second year, we are going to start taking it up a notch. Xtratight will be organising its own events in Aleeze as home base. We will also be extending our marketing efforts to have more people discover the venue and make use of it since we have been relying on word-of-mouth recommendations. Right now, it is very good to see people book the venue, because it shows that people like Aleeze enough to recommend it to others.
How do you see the next few years panning out for you?
I really want to focus all my attention on Aleeze, and create what I would like to call the entertainment hub of the Caribbean. I want everyone to know the venue and for it to be a real St. Maarten landmark. When people talk about St. Maarten and mention the beaches, nature and tourism, I want to make sure they also mention Aleeze Convention Center in that same sentence.
Do you have any hobbies that help keep you sane and relaxed?
I don’t have many hobbies, but I do have two activities that help me relax. One of them is the gym – I love going to the gym; it keeps my mind at peace – and the second one is making music. I’m also a producer and when I am making music, mixing music, or doing anything with music, my soul is very tranquil.
What would you advise your younger self, or other people looking to get into a similar role?
All I would say is: Focus. Again, my mantras are: “Follow the course until success” and “Success is not a destination, it’s a journey.”
Be realistic with yourself – this profession is not for everyone; this business is a high-risk business. The weather is a factor, finances are a factor…so if you feel like you want to do it and you can do it, I would say go for it. Let no one deter you, let no one tell you what you can and cannot do, because you are the only person in control of your destination. But if you decide to do it, you have to give it your all.
I hope that I remain a motivation to others who think that certain things are impossible. It is possible with the right team and the right mind-set.
