So last time I talked about music from Suriname it was in this post about Lieve Hugo and Kaseko Music. Having covered one of the unique styles of music in the country, today I will look at a popular bi-yearly contest and or show that's held called "Suripop". All of you with your creative minds may already have thought that that name is derived from "Suriname" and "pop music". BUT if you think it's just this land's take on pop music, that couldn't be further from the truth, because it actually stands for "Suriname Popular Song Festival". 🙃 I know, it got me as well.
Every 2 years awesome composers come together with talented artists to collaborate and make their best creation in many different styles. The theme is usually always Suriname or something connected to Suriname. But the genre and language can be anything the composer wants. So there's been Jazz compositions, pop, slow ballads, latin, you name it, along with the languages Dutch (the native language), Sranan Tongo (which is an unofficial, but common language here) and some even in English. A fun fact is that each winning composer is not allowed to enter the contest again, always leaving room for new talent to be discovered.
In 2018 we had the 20th edition. So this year was supposed to feature the 21st, but we all know how that went.
Let's take a look at some of the hits over the past years ever since the first edition in 1982.
Gi Yu Wawan
Speaking of the first edition in 1982, I couldn't have started this list with the original winner of the contest and arguably one of the best ones Suripop has produced. Here the singer Powl Ameerali sings about how his loved one is constantly on his mind, and how he feels her in his whole body and soul. How he lives for only her, which comes back to the translation of the titel "Gi Yu Wawan": For You Only.
The composer(s) often get overlooked in the limelight, but they are the actual official participants, and in this case they went by the names Erik Refos & Wim Bakker. This is one of those songs that I can listen to wherever I am in the world and it brings me right back to home.
Lobi Singi
The next one is one of my personal favorites and in my opinion the best Jazz song in Suriname. It's also the winning composition of the 8th edition in 1994, composed by Martha Tjoe Ny and performed by Astrid Belliot. I was 4 years old back then. Be sure to wait for that high note chorus for the full experience.
As with many Jazz songs, this revolves around a scorched love, going on about the hurtful things that have been said and done, but how she is now strong and independent.
Aku Cinta Padamu
Had to include this 9th winner, not just because it's a good song, but because it's a very unique composition combining three of the big spoken languages in the country: Dutch, Sranang Tongo and Indonesian Bahasa derivative spoken by the local diaspora. Given that last language is only represented by three words, but hey, they made the title. :)
I still remember that clip being played al the time when I was younger. Ah, teenage love.
Ef A Kan
And just so you don't start to think this festival produces only slow paced songs, but also because it's one of my all time favorites to dance to in traffic, here's Ef A Kan, composed by Erik Refos & Siegfried Gerling, and performed by Powl Ameraali. Man, that guy's talented. In the song he serenades his lover asking her to stay "ef a kan" (if possible) and how crazy she makes him.
Well then, that's it for now. I thought it would be much easier to pick a few top ones, but there are so many I still want to share, I'm thinking of doing a follow up on this one.
