Music

South American nation of Suriname was formerly a colony of the Netherlands. The nation has an Indo-Caribbean history and is well recognized for its kaseko music. The French phrase casser le corps (break the body), which was used to describe an extremely quick dance under slavery, is likely where the term "kaseko" comes from.

Kaseko is a synthesis of a variety of folk and popular musical genres from Africa, Europe, and the Americas. With percussion instruments like the skratji (a very large bass drum) and snare drums, as well as saxophone, trumpet, and occasionally trombone, it has a complex beat. There are choral and solo singing options. Songs and regional Creole folk genres like kawina are frequently call-and-response.

The traditional Afro-Surinamese kawina music, which has been performed by street performers in Paramaribo from the year 1900, gave rise to kaseko. Bigi Poku emerged in the 1930s during events that featured large ensembles, particularly brass bands (big drum music). Jazz, calypso, and other imports rose to popularity in the late 1940s, but rock and roll quickly established its own legacy through the use of electrified instruments. The biggest music event in the nation is the biannual SuriPop festival.