When someone talks about jazz, Miles Davis is the first name that comes to mind. His sounds are warm and compelling and immediately bring you into a certain atmosphere. I can listen to the music he serves for hours. For someone who normally likes alternative rock, it is quite special that I am so touched by the emotions that Miles manages to evoke with his music.
I’m not an inveterate jazz fan. In my younger years I occasionally went with a group of friends to Hotel Krasnapolsky, where jazz was played on Friday evenings. Those friends really went to listen to the music, so there was little or no speaking during the band’s performance. People were listening. There I met musicians like Marcel Balsemhof and Jim Westfa. The dedication they made to music and how they could tell you about jazz between songs impressed me.
At one point it was almost a regular habit to go there on Friday evenings and listen to a repertoire that was always adapted to the mood of the musicians. In later years I occasionally attended the jazz festival and heard jazz music in films here and there. I immediately think of Whiplash.
Jazz has a particularly interesting history. In recent weeks I have delved deeper into this. Of course I already knew that this music is strongly rooted in black culture, but it is fascinating to see how deeply jazz is intertwined with the development of the African-American community. I also find the influence that music has had worldwide particularly interesting. Suriname has also produced special jazz musicians, such as Kit Dynamite. These musicians have helped develop the genre both in Suriname and beyond and have also given it a Surinamese touch.
Jazz has also inspired many artists in Suriname. There are still young musicians who embrace this music. For example, The 22 Jazz Club on Sommelsdijckstraat regularly offers a stage to new artists to show what they can do.
I always find the fusion of bass, piano, drum and trumpet masterful. Add to that a beautiful voice telling a story, and for me it is complete. Music tells stories, but jazz sometimes tells stories with a deep background. Stories about resistance, pain and resilience. Sometimes you hear a cheerful melody that actually hides a sad story. That is the power of jazz: it takes you from one emotion to another, often with a subtle but sharp undertone.
So later I’ll put on another Miles Davis album to enjoy and go back in time. At the same time, new stories need to be created. That is why it is important that young musicians continue to experiment and develop further within this music. It would be great if jazz in Suriname was not only preserved, but also continued to grow and inspire new generations.-.
