Sranan Gowtu

The music of the Republic of Suriname, located in the north-east of Latin America, is unfamiliar to many. There's a dearth of good studio facilities and next to no international promotion of it. But here's an opportunity to discover the unknown treasure of this former Dutch colony. With many exciting styles like kaseko, kawina and kaskawina, highly percussive music that was brought by African slaves, there is a lot to discover. This compilation offers an overview of the popular music of the last 50 years.

Kaseko, the nation's dance music, is represented here by tracks from Iwan Esseboom and Master Blaster. The oldest track, ‘Ala Pikin Nengre’ by folk singer Big Jones, dates from 1960. Other classics featured are ‘Bruine Bonen met Rijst' by Max Woiski Sr and the ballad ‘Blaka Rosoe’ by Lieve Hugo a celebrity in the mid-70s. Local reggae hero Damaru and popular youth bands like Aptijt and La Rouge, who play very fast, erotic dance music, complete this good introduction to the irresistible rhythms of Suriname.