KABITENI (14+)

Let yourself be swept away to Bendekonde, a Surinamese village, where Georgetina, the ‘kabiteni’ (captain), is at the helm. Her singing and storytelling, combined with the energetic hip-hop and Surinamese Awasa dance of the four other distinctive performers, form the heartbeat of KABITENI.

Hip-hop meets Surinamese dance

The performers take you on a journey through the story of the village against a backdrop of visuals filmed in the Surinamese interior. The performance is accompanied by eclectic, warm and rousing compositions, inspired by hip-hop, Awasa rhythms and life by the river.

You’ll feel as though you’re a true ‘kabiteni’ and experience the challenges faced by the resilient Georgetina. She must strike a balance between tradition and innovation, between how things used to be and how they are now. In doing so, she safeguards the future of her community, which once rose up in resistance against slavery. The performance translates this resistance and strength into today’s vibrant hip-hop culture.

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

Performance period: November 2025 to February 2026, followed by a KETIKOTI tour in the Netherlands in June/July 2026. In August 2026, KABITENI will perform in Suriname as part of an exchange programme.

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The Theaterkrant:

“In this way, hip-hop effortlessly integrates forms that have flourished within the Maroon community. (…) The performance itself becomes a river of dance that never subsides, a current which, with its accelerations, changes of direction, tides, ripples and splashes, invites the audience to let themselves be carried along by the original moves this group displays. (…) A performance that is a gift.”

The Volkskrant:

“Whilst (…) the 50th anniversary of Suriname’s independence is being commemorated, Marengo is doing his bit by (…) passing on Georgetina’s voice to new generations of hip-hop artists.”

Photos: Bart Grietens

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 the Young Swan. Boston is the artistic director of Right About Now.

The charismatic ‘kabiteni’ is portrayed by Angelika Naingie, known for her role in the theatre production ‘Sporen van Haar’. The performers have also made their mark. Kevin Thompson previously danced with the Dutch National Ballet and ISH; Djinti Sullivan played the lead role in ‘Giselle’ by the Toneelmakerij & Dox; Ciara Hiwat shone in ‘POWER’, which won the BNG Bank Prize; and both Ciara Hiwat and Uhr’lice Rosaria received grants from the Vanden Ende Foundation.