The Lloydscompany team has just returned from Suriname. The reason for this tropical visit is the new performance KABITENI. This means 'captain' in Surinamese, and that's what the performance is about. And this isn't just any captain, but a female captain who lives in the interior of Suriname. Reason enough for Lloyd Marengo and his team to travel here.

"I met her last year in a village in the Surinamese interior," says Lloyd. In 2024, Lloyd already went to a South American country because he knew he wanted to create a performance with Surinamese influences. I've always been involved with and cared about hip-hop. So for a very long time, I booked performances from the hip-hop scene. And that's really nice. But I've never made a performance in Suriname or about it. While my roots are there and I really felt at home there in 2001. Dance styles in Suriname also originate from resistance. Just like hip-hop. So I felt from my core that I wanted and needed to do something with that.

So this year he travelled back to Suriname, to the village of Bendekonde, which is headed by a female 'kabiteni'. "That's not the usual way things are done, because in the past, such a position was always held by men. That piqued my interest. And the guide said that she loves music and dance. So I went to see her and she talked about her life, her children, and her love for singing.

AWASA-DANS

Lloyd asked her to demonstrate the Awasa dance. There are many dance styles in Suriname. But we wanted to focus on one dance to avoid confusion. We chose Awasa because it's one of the most common dance styles, even in the Netherlands. There are now also lessons available, and more and more people want to know about them. I also think it's a cool style because it's low to the ground and involves footwork. So if I start learning hip-hop moves, I hope I can do something with that. I wanted to see more of this because I didn't know much about it. But I knew there were a lot of underlying thoughts behind it. And so Lloyd and his team were given a demonstration of four ladies dancing Awasa.

KABITENI AS THE CENTRE

That meeting and demonstration moved Lloyd so deeply that he decided to make the performance about this woman. She's a powerful woman, has 9 children, and carries a huge responsibility. I can't let this slide. If I want to talk about dance, Suriname, and Western hip-hop culture, I have to represent her. Lloyd therefore gives the dancers in the performance a specific message. That's also the message from the kabiteni themselves. That they shouldn't lose their culture. We're going to see how we can shape that with dance. That's an artistic challenge."

CONNECTION WITH SURINAME AND HIP-HOP

Lloyd is putting on the show together with a whole team, each of whom also has connections in Suriname. Marjorie Boston is the director; she comes from hip-hop culture. She is a Surinamese woman and knows the interior of Suriname well. I want to make a performance about a woman. So I think it's important that I have women on board who can correct me and tell me what it feels like to be a woman." The dancers also all have a Surinamese background and a hip-hop background. So we all know what we're talking about.

IMAGE AND SOUND

In addition to a conversation with the captain and a demonstration of the Awasa dance, Lloyd and his team also filmed footage in Suriname. These will form the backdrop for the performance. He also recorded sounds for the performance. Now we have pumping hip-hop beats, but also the drumbeats that Awasa's music revolves around. We also incorporate stories into the performance. That's what Awasa is all about.