Johnny de Miranda "The Sunny Sound Of Surinam" 1974****

Having lived in The Netherlands for 7 years I've obviousle met a lot of Surinamese people. I must admit that before I came here I wouldn't be able to find the country on the map, or even tell you in which continent it is. I can now place it on north South America (does that make sense?) near Brazil and not very far from the Caribbean. It used to be a Dutch colony until 1975 and its history is, like most of "Latin" America, a history of pillage and exploitation. And slavery, the Dutch having made a fortune in the slave trade. The Dutch West India company alone is estimated to have trafficked 550,000 Africans into slavery, at a time when the population of the whole world was 500 million. When slavery was abolished in the Netherlands and its colonies (in 1863) there was no keeping those free men and women in the plantations - not when they could disappear in the jungle and grow, hunt or gather their own food. The Dutch then transported destitute farmers from Asia (mostly India and Indonesia) to fill the gap. Add the freed Africans, indigenous South American tribes and European colonists, and you have an unprecedented mix of peoples and cultures. Not to mention languages: According to wikipedia, next to the country's official language which is Dutch, recognised regional languages include Sranan Tongo and other Creole dialects, Caribbean Hindustani and Javanese. 

Being curious about the country's music, I once asked a Surinamese colleague if it was similar to Latin music, to which she replied something like "Yes...but not exactly. Similar, but different" - which didn't make me any wiser. Given the large Dutch-Surinamese community, there's surprisingly little music from that region to be found at record shops. But then the same is true for the other big minorities here: Moroccans, Turks and Indonesians. So when I found this cheap LP at a record fair, I thought it could help answer my question. It looked authentic enough and was sung in some local language. The name of Johnny de Miranda wasn't familiar, of course, but this is what I could later find out about him: He was born in 1924 and started playing at an early age. He played violin, clarinet, alt and tenor sax, as well as congas, drums and piano. He joined popular dance orchestras in Curacao and Surinam before moving to The Netherlands in 1955 and making a few records, alone or with his co-patriot Max Woiski. "The Sunny Sound Of Surinam" was the first (of two) LP's mentioned in discogs. Last news piece I found about him mentioned that he was back in Surinam, still an active musician and celebrating his 90th birthday. From what I've gathered, this is more or less typical Surinamese music. Does it sound like Latin music? Yes...but not exactly. There is a strong Caribbean and Afro-Cuban flavor, with some Swing, Calypso, Ska and Samba influences. The liner notes describe this music as Skratjie Pokkoe, a name that evidently derives from the specific kind of drums used in this style. All I know is that it's fun, good-timey music that invites you to dance. The band is tight and sound like seasoned entertainers. Based on their names, it seems to be a mixed Dutch/Surinamese affair. Highlights include the sax on the opener "Sèkanti", nostalgic accordion intro on "Moesje Oe Koemba", the Belafonte-meets-Tito Puente vibe of "Waka Libi" and "Bigi Elena", and the African sounds of "Wai Anisa" and "Bamba Maskita". The latter reminded me of the lost-and-rediscovered Senegalese band Orchestra Baobab. The lyrics are of course unintelligible but I like how the language sounds: exotically strange yet strangely familiar. An English word here, a Dutch there, another that sounds like Portuguese - all in the same song. The album has never been reissued either in LP or CD, but apparently it isn't that rare or expensive. There's a good chance you'll come across a reasonably-priced copy. If you do, buy it. No record collection is complete without at least one album of Skratjie Pokkoe. UPDATE: Johnny De Miranda died on 11/11/2018, aged 94. R.I.P.

**** for Sèkanti, Waka Libi, Bamba Maskita, Bigi Elena, Wai Anisa, Takroe Fesi, Moesje Oe Koemba, Wang Foroe

*** for Ba Wiriang, Lena Pikieng, Alla Modo, Didong Dè