Kawina is not the name of an artist, nor a singer, nor an actor; Kawina is a musical genre from Suriname.
Kawina, also called Kawna or Adore, is a genus originating from the early nineteenth century influenced by music and dance Banya, Laku and Tuka, also in relation to the African music.
The origin of this music is not very precise, there are many theories... but first let's get to know the Surinam.
Colonialism and Kawina
In early seventeenth century Suriname was reached by theWest: first from the explorers Spanish, then from the traders English, finally colonized by the Dutch, which imported approximately 13000 slaves from Ghana.
Many slaves escaped and took refuge in the jungle to form new communities, among these the Maroons, who carried and guarded the music and african culture that have survived in the Americas, including the genus Kawina.
Il Kawina It stands out for its strong sounds with the percussion: a small portable pallet beaten with sticks, containing rattles and membranophone timbales, or two small portable drums. Added to all this is a responsorial song, where verses of a singer alternate with verses of a choir.
The name Kawina comes from Commewijne River Valley, near the plantations and camps of the Maroons.
Kawina is a mix of spiritual practices from Suriname, influenced by the African continent.
While the Kawina has a history that begins with the Maroons, the Kawina that we listen to today It's different and has taken hold in 1863th century, after the abolition of slavery in XNUMX.
Lasting communities Maroons they collected influences from the Creoles and foreign migrants, adding musical instruments such as the harmonica and the clarinet and also getting closer to the European harmonies.
In the 20th century, Surinamese icons began recording and distributing Kawina music with names like Big Jones.
Big Jones he was the first artist Kawina to record a LP in 1950, Big Jones and his band they didn't have success only in Suriname but also in Netherlands, with the 1960 documentary Faja Lobbi.
Big Jones – Winger Pikin Nengre
Another important name from Kawina is Johan Zebeda, who decided to devote himself to music after hearing Big Jones.
In 1978 Zebeda released his first album “Tantriri in No Dong"With Gemini Records.
Zebeda collaborated with the NAKS (In African culture, Sranan was), a non-profit organization dedicated to young people through the cultural preservation.
In 1980 Zebeda joined the Ministry of Culture of Suriname with the aim of keeping the music Kawina and Winti including Afro-Surinamese culture, with the education and continuous recording of musicians' pieces.
In the 1990s Kawina music was represented by groups such as Sukru Sani, Naks Kawina Loco, who continued to support musicians of this genre, bringing Kawina culture and heritage into people's lives.
Now I leave you with some fun facts on Suriname, maybe you'll want to go there!
- Suriname is the smallest country in South America, and therefore the least populous one;
- Chicken and Rice it's the national dish;
- Suriname has a river Surinam River di 480Km;
- Suriname is also called Surinam, why the name Surinam was changed to Suriname in 1978;
- La central and south-eastern part are the most affected by heavy rains;
- Despite its small population, Suriname is divided into several populations of different ethnicities, religions and languages;
- There are two declared locations UNESCO World Heritage Sites: The historic city of Paramaribo (capital) and the Central Nature Reserve of Suriname;
- Juliana Top It is the highest mountain in Suriname, reaching 1286m above sea level.
For more pills of South American culture follow me:
-> South American Culture pt. 1: Fernando Botero (veryuomo.it)
