k.cast

Suriname 1772. Soundscapes, selected tracks and interviews blend to make a history of how the music of the people in the colony was attacked and repressed by the ruling whitened elite. This episode begins with a sonic journey from the Dutch polders, to Rotterdam, the West African fortress of Elmina and finally Paramaribo, Suriname. Later we discuss the role of cultural racism and the policing of everyday practices such as singing, drumming and dancing in upholding dominance. We learn how these policies failed and, crucially, why Sranan music was so feared by the colonial authorities.