Handicraft
The indigenous people, Suriname's first inhabitants, have always developed creative and artistic activities linked to the natural world around them. Subsequently, the immigration of people from very different ethnic groups (Africa, Asia, Europe...) has enriched and diversified Surinamese arts and crafts. In Paramaribo's galleries, this blend of cultures is omnipresent in all art forms, from painting to ceramics, pottery and basketry. Winston van der Bok, for example, is one of Suriname's most renowned indigenous painters, one of those who try to convey strong messages about their endangered culture. The stalls of Paramaribo also sell seed necklaces and earrings, products of indigenous craftsmanship.
As for the black-brown culture, Marcel Pinas and George Struikelblok, among others, are fighting to promote their traditional art and know-how, so that their history is not forgotten. You'll find precious wooden objects carved - saramaca stools in particular - by the Noirs-Marrons (descendants of African slaves), colorful fabrics and hammocks, pottery, necklaces, basketry and other native crafts, paintings by local artists, silk, dolls, wall decorations, jades imported from China, colorful fabrics from India, gold and silver jewelry. Thanks in part to Indian influences, Suriname's jewelry is not only magnificent, but also very special in the way it is made: Suriname is one of the few places in the world where jewelry is still made by hand, true one-off creations from artisans with fairy fingers.
And when it comes to handcrafted clothing, think of the "Pangi": a traditional black-brown garment, the pangi is a colorful madras cloth on which the seamstress has sewn patterns. Certain patterns and colors indicate the village from which it comes. Women sometimes superimpose it with a hangisa, a cloth used to carry their offspring. Men proudly wear kamisa, this time knotting the fabric at the shoulder: this is tapa koto or bandjakoosu. These fabrics are very popular on the river, and each model is unique, made for every special occasion. During traditional festivals, the bright, even fluorescent colors of the pangi illuminate the villages and bear witness to an extraordinary cultural richness.
Finally, there's tembé, a black-brown art form originating in French Guiana and Suriname, particularly present on the Maroni, Tapanahoni and Suriname rivers. Originally, this Bushinengue pictorial art used black, white and red, but it has opened up to a wider palette, with yellow, green and blue, for example, each symbolizing an element or state. Drawings were originally done on wood, but are now done on canvas, depicting geometric shapes each with its own meaning. The practice has even been listed on France's Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2020.
Music
Another gift idea: CDs of Surinamese music. Popular Surinamese bands mix current and traditional sounds from different cultures. Here are some tracks to help you find your way around the Surinamese musical landscape.
Kasseko and Kawina. Kasseko (popular music in the cities) is very important, as is Kawina (more widespread in the interior). There are very famous groups in Suriname such as the group Aptijt, which means "appetite". They play Kabula, a mixture of kasseko and street music. The group Naks Kasseko Loco is composed of about 11 artists who mix modern kasseko and Kawina but with traditional instruments. Also Hugo Lieve, called the King of Kasseko, in the 1960s-70s.
Aleke. Music of the river and of the Black-Browns par excellence. Very present in Moengo and more generally in all the East of Surinam, notably the district of Marowina.
Pop java. This time, it is the Javanese who mix their traditional music (Krontgong or Dandoet) with more modern rhythms.
Modern jazz and Paramaribop. For more experienced ears: born from the mixture of jazz (be-bop) with Kasseko and Kawina rhythms. The group par excellence of Paramaribop is called 4Sure, formerly Survive, embodied by the great bassist Pablo Nahar, and influenced by the Suriname Music Ensemble which has been very successful in Amsterdam. He describes Paramaribop as "a love affair between the complex harmonies of jazz and bebop and the exotic rhythms of Kawina and Kasseko.
Rap, Dance-hall, Soul and R n'B. Among the artists representing these different current musical trends, we can mention the names of Crazy G, Damaru, King Koyeba, Scrappy, Miriam Simone, Sabrina Starke or Max Nijman.
