In a previous post I highlighted the movie Wan Pipel, which portrayed quite a bit of traditional Surinamese Indian culture. This post will be somewhat of a continuation of that. I will also highlight a bit of Surinamese Indian culture. However, this post also offers a glimpse of the unique melting pot that is Suriname.

Take for example this first song. It consists of a mashup or medley of two songs: Besame, the Mexican bolero classic, a song the general public would probably know, and ‘Yeh Samaa’, a Bollywood song by the great Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar. We didn’t just mix Mexico with India. No, we flavored it with a hint of Dominican bachata, spiced it up with Central African congas, which pair very well with the other drum, the Indian tabla. Added a verse in Sranan, which in itself is a language masala, considering it’s a Creole language mostly derived from English, but also having Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Yiddish and various West and Central African influences. Can you still keep up? No? Well, then just listen for yourself.

This is Suriname. Wan Pipel, and the political crisis fueled by the movie, showcased some of the worst. What we are as a country is mostly this. A country where you can bring the cultural spice you have to offer to the table to form a mixture of spices, a masala, together with the rest.

The following two song recordings do not have as high a production value as the previous one, but I would still love to feature them in this post. Mainly because Zahra Chehra is one of my favorite songs, and the singing itself is superb! Also, the third song features a Bollywood song remixed to a salsa song in true Surinamese style, and I love salsa!

Complete sidenote. Is this the best Dhool player in the world or what? I dare you to find me anyone better..lol!

See also: Before Mississippi Masala there was Wan Pipel , Hoe wij hier ook samen kwamen