With her radiant smile, Rosita Leeflang enters many living rooms every week. But the 41-year-old newsreader of ATV does much more. For example, with her foundation Develop Art Foundation Suriname. With this she wants to help develop Surinamese music. "Music is very important, it gives energy and ensures development. There is no life without music."
With her radiant smile, Rosita Leeflang enters many living rooms every week. But the 41-year-old newsreader of ATV does much more. For example, with her foundation Develop Art Foundation Suriname. With this she wants to help develop Surinamese music. "Music is very important, it gives energy and ensures development. There is no life without music."
With her radiant smile, Rosita Leeflang enters many living rooms every week. But the 41-year-old newsreader of ATV does much more. For example, with her foundation Develop Art Foundation Suriname. With this she wants to help develop Surinamese music. "Music is very important, it gives energy and ensures development. There is no life without music."
Her life as a journalist began 17 years ago. "At school I always got a 10 for chatting," says Rosita. "My mother encouraged me to apply for a job at her favorite radio station to read the news there. During the job interview I was told that I also had to learn to make the news, if I wanted to read it. And that's how it started." Five years later, the newsreader born in Paramaribo was asked by television station ATV. "I had to think about it for a while, but the answer was soon given."
When Rosita started working on TV, she also started relaxing her frizzy hair. "People thought I could only be on TV with straight hair. I hated the relaxing moments, because I have sensitive skin and I always ended up with burns. Always a hassle." That's why she decided to stop mistreating her hair seven years ago and went natural. With that, she was and still is the only newsreader in Suriname with frizzy hair. "When I started wearing my frizzy hair naturally, I didn't even think about it. Now it's a statement to trust yourself in making your own decisions. Frizzy hair is so beautiful!"
The Surinamese does not understand why people are ashamed of their natural frizzy hair. "Anyone who is ashamed has a distorted view of reality. Why would you be ashamed of something you were born with? If you are ashamed and therefore relax, you should also change everything about your body, such as your color or your face. Frizzy hair is nothing to be ashamed of, on the contrary, something to be super proud of!"
She herself prefers to wear her frizz nice and wild. "For example with twist-outs or a nice fro." Anyone who thinks that every newsreader spends hours at the hairdresser before appearing in front of the camera is very wrong. "I do my hair myself. It's not that difficult," says Rosita.
Rosita is very happy with the work she does. "I like it that I can tell the people at home what happened that day. Often with a smile. Many people recognize me by my smile." However, there is also a disadvantage to appearing on TV. "Because of my busy schedule, I sometimes feel tired on TV. It's hard to hide that. People see that and say something about it. Unfortunately, being tired and beautiful on TV don't go together."
That busy schedule is not only filled with her work as a newsreader. In addition to this job, the journalist has her own production agency, Roseternal Media, with which she passes on her journalistic experience to her clients, and she has set up a foundation, Develop Art Foundation Suriname. With this foundation, Rosita organizes music and dance workshops. "The goal of Develop Art Foundation Suriname is to help develop Surinamese music, so that we too can bring home a Grammy or Oscar for the best film song." When asked why she thinks music is so important, Rosita answers passionately: "Have you ever thought about what life would be like without music? Just try it for a day. Music is food, is rest and relaxation. Music gives energy and ensures development. Your creative mind comes to life and it keeps you going. There is no life without music!"
Rosita really enjoys organizing the projects for her foundation and therefore has a hard time choosing her favorite project. "The projects that I have to finance myself are a challenge and fun anyway." However, there are three fun moments that stood out for Rosita. "With guitarist Andro Biswane I did a holiday guitar course in 2011, for people who wanted to learn to play the guitar within two weeks. Many didn't believe it, but really, after two weeks they could play a song. The second moment was in May 2012 when I saw with drummer Harvey Wirht in the village of Ovia-olo (Marowijne) how within an hour one of the youngsters, about ten years old, had mastered Harvey's rhythms." Her last project was with Berget Lewis and Trijntje Oosterhuis. "I had a workshop with them, their backing vocals and their band from the Netherlands. That was just goose bumps. The energy that radiated from it was enormous. Definitely a highlight!"
Rosita with drummer Harvey Wirht at the final presentation
Photos M ario C. Castillion
You would think that the journalist is busy 24/7 and has no time to make plans for the future, but Rosita still has great ambitions. "As a journalist/news presenter I want to read news on an international channel like CNN and with my foundation I want to create structural educational moments with a certain depth."
The great sources of inspiration for this busy woman? "Oprah Winfrey. Her programs give me ideas on how to act in life. Stevie Wonder. You don't have to see to develop yourself. Love and feeling are much more important."