On the right, you see Georgetina, the Surinamese kabiteni (village chief), with Angelika on the left, who portrays Georgetina in the dance and music performance KABITENI, together in Suriname.

Our latest dance and music performance, KABITENI, is based on Georgetina, a Surinamese kabiteni (Surinamese for captain, meaning people's head) from Suriname. This will premiere on Friday, November 7th, at the Zuidplein theatre. Georgetina will also be attending the premiere in Rotterdam, where we will speak with her in a Q&A after the performance. Before the premiere, we are offering a free workshop in Surinamese dance by Nyanga Weder.

On Independence Day, November 25th, we are also treating visitors to a free awasadance workshop beforehand and a Q&A session after the performance at the Krakeling Theatre in Amsterdam. The real kabiteni is also present here.

November is the month in which Suriname celebrates 50 years of independence from the Netherlands. That fits perfectly with the content of the performance. This one is about resistance, leadership, and the preservation of culture. Choreographer Marengo, with roots in Suriname, therefore blends hip-hop with traditional Surinamese awasa dance in the performance. These dances all originate from resistance. The dancers are led by the female kabiteni. With the performance, Marengo also advocates for the preservation of Maroon culture.

BASIS OF KABITENI IN SURINAME

The performance stems from the encounter between Lloyd Marengo and Georgetina, the female captain in the interior of Suriname. "That's not the usual way things are done; in the past, such a position was held by men," says Marengo. That piqued my interest. I started talking to her and she turned out to be an incredibly powerful woman with a love for dance and singing. That's why I wanted to put on a show around her right away." Marengo asked her for a demonstration of the Awasa dance, and he got one. "It's a cool style because it's low to the ground and involves footwork. That's also true of breakdancing, the main dance in hip-hop, which I've always been involved with. Another similarity between Awasa dance and hip-hop dance is that both dance styles originate from resistance. That's why I felt deep down that I had to do something with it. With music and dance, the five performers convey the message to the audience that people should above all not lose their culture.

KABITENI

HIPHOP MEETS SURINAME DANCE (14+)

Let yourself be transported to Bendekonde, a Surinamese village, where Georgetina, the 'kabiteni' (captain), is at the helm. Her singing and stories, combined with the energetic hip-hop and Surinamese Awasa dance of the four other outspoken performers, form the heartbeat of KABITENI. They take you into the story of the village against a backdrop of visuals filmed in the interior of Suriname. The performance is surrounded by eclectic, warm, and rousing compositions, inspired by hip-hop, Awasa rhythms, and life by the river.

This way, you'll feel like a real 'Kabiteni' and experience the challenges that the brave Georgetina faces. She has to balance between tradition and innovation, between how things always were and now. With this, she is safeguarding the future of her community, which once resisted slavery. The performance translates this resistance and strength into today's vibrant hip-hop culture.

KABITENI energetically brings together a unique history, culture, and innovation in a rich mix of music, spoken word, dance, and visuals.

Play period: November 2025 to February 2026

ABOUT THE MAKERS

KABITENI was created by hip-hop theatre pioneers Lloyd Marengo (choreography) and Marjorie Boston (direction), with assistance from B-Boy Dietrich Pott. In 2022, Marengo won the Golden Swan and Pott won the Young Swan. Boston is the artistic director of Right About Now.

The charismatic 'kabiteni' is portrayed by Angelika Naingie, known for the theatrical performance 'Traces of Her'. The performers have also made their mark. For example, Kevin Thompson previously danced for the National Ballet and ISH, Djinti Sullivan played the lead role in 'Giselle' by Toneelmakerij & Dox, Ciara Hiwat shone in POWER, which won the BNG Bank Prize, and Uhr'lice Rosaria received a scholarship from the Vanden Ende Foundation.