Bijlmer Klassiek
A musical journey from West Africa to Suriname
The Surinamese music style kawina, kawna or kauna is also a language. During the trans-Atlantic slavery era, its rhythms were used to convey secret messages that were undetectable to the colonial powers.
Performers
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Marlon ‘MrJetFly’ Francis
percussion and keys
-
Elías Blanco Del Prado
percussion - academy 2023/2024
-
Giovanni Essed
percussion
-
Dwight Daans
percussion
-
Dániel Bolba
percussion
-
Steven Tevreden
zang
-
Cedric Belfor
zang
-
Martin Hubbard
zang
About this concert
Friday evening, 7 June, during this season’s final Bijlmer Klassiek concert, we will embark on a journey to the roots of this musical code language.
Led by percussionist/keyboardist Marlon ‘MrJetFly’ Francis and percussionist Elías Blanco del Prado (from the Academy of the Concertgebouw Orchestra), the musicians will take us to the birthplace of kawina, West Africa. We will hear how the rhythms originate, evolve, and acquire meaning.
The musical exploration ultimately brings us to Suriname, where kawina resonates in its full glory and continues to inspire musicians (from Sukru Sani to La Rouge) and audiences to this day.
By embracing Bijlmer Klassiek in 2022, the Concertgebouw Orchestra took over from its violist Michael Gieler, who organized the series for ten years with the Bijlmer Parktheater.
About the Bijlmer Parktheater - At the Bijlmer Parktheater new stories are developed, artists are given free rein to develop artistically, and the audience feels at home. The lively, intimate and welcoming theater boasts a unique programme giving space to different identities, traditions, cultures and cultural expressions and where people find meaning in diversity.
Dates and tickets
About this concert
Friday evening, 7 June, during this season’s final Bijlmer Klassiek concert, we will embark on a journey to the roots of this musical code language.
Led by percussionist/keyboardist Marlon ‘MrJetFly’ Francis and percussionist Elías Blanco del Prado (from the Academy of the Concertgebouw Orchestra), the musicians will take us to the birthplace of kawina, West Africa. We will hear how the rhythms originate, evolve, and acquire meaning.
The musical exploration ultimately brings us to Suriname, where kawina resonates in its full glory and continues to inspire musicians (from Sukru Sani to La Rouge) and audiences to this day.
By embracing Bijlmer Klassiek in 2022, the Concertgebouw Orchestra took over from its violist Michael Gieler, who organized the series for ten years with the Bijlmer Parktheater.
About the Bijlmer Parktheater - At the Bijlmer Parktheater new stories are developed, artists are given free rein to develop artistically, and the audience feels at home. The lively, intimate and welcoming theater boasts a unique programme giving space to different identities, traditions, cultures and cultural expressions and where people find meaning in diversity.