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2024-06-12 | Matjet Zwaans: Totomboti at Oreol Festival

safda adf afs We are excited to share that our fellow Marjet Zwaans is participating in Oerol festival with Totomboti collective.

Liederen Verankeren is an event at the intersection of visual art and performance. During Oerol, the artists from Totomboti provide a nine-day insight into the magical powers and the spirited world of their courageous African ancestors. Traditional Saramaccan songs and drumming are interspersed with Dutch translations and inspired storytelling. This marks the first time the Saramaccans are actively presenting these spiritual songs and visuals to the public.

As a listener, you are always welcome to join with a dance, song, or power cry to give the story an unexpected twist. In the Saramaccan culture and language, we recognize Dutch influences, including in spiritual objects like the black bottle, which is also known to the people of Terschelling. On the first day, we will hear more about the black bottle through experiences from both Terschelling and Pikin Slee on the Upper Suriname River.

The Surinamese rainforest is an environment currently increasingly threatened by logging and gold mining. Places and place names that have been respectfully sung about by the Saramaccans for centuries do not receive the same respectful treatment from outsiders. Since the peace treaty of 1762, this area has been officially the collective property of the Saramaccans. Over 100 years before the abolition of slavery, this was recognized by the Dutch colonial government. How was this legally transferred to the Surinamese government upon independence in 1975, and how do these agreements still impact the management of the rainforest today?

In Liederen Verankeren, the Saramaccan perspective and its oral sources are central. The Apunku and the apinti recount the story of the forest through joyful songs, spiritual drumming, and profound sayings.


Oerol, founded in 1981 by Joop Mulder, is an annual ten-day site-specific arts festival on Terschelling. It serves as a meeting point where diverse perspectives and generations converge, fostering connections and meaning for a broad (international) network.

This expedition consists of two parts: a visual art installation, which can be visited daily from 8 to 16 June between 11:00 and 17:00. Additionally, from 8 to 16 June at 14:00, you can join a daily changing live presentation of songs and stories.

More information

Thami Mnyele Foundation promotes the exchange of art and culture between Africa and the Netherlands.