by Steven Seedo
PARAMARIBO — “Mi kumba tetey beri dya. I was born in Hoogestraat. I want to experience that feeling of having a birthday here,” says the Dutch resident about the celebration of his 75th birthday on April 8. He celebrates this milestone on Sunday with a Bigi Yariconcert in the Bastion in New Amsterdam.
Kaseko jazz group Time Out will perform in the support programme, including Marcel Balsemhof and Wilgo Telting. Bassist Jason Eduwaiti, drummer Edson Faebre and keyboardist Ivan Ritveld also make an appearance as members of Snijders’ backing band.
“I am a musical citizen of the world, but Suriname remains my roots. You can always hear that, especially when I swing with my flute”
Ronald Snijders
The flautist, composer and ethnomusicologist previously commemorated the centenary of the birth of his father, musician Eddy Snijders, and also that of his mother Olga Ooft in Suriname. “They are no longer there, but I have remembered them. It feels wonderful to now celebrate my own birthday here.”
Music to connect
Snijders, who has lived in the Netherlands for decades, is not thinking about stopping making music any time soon. “I do it because I really enjoy it. It’s my way of life. I just want more.” He doesn’t know where he gets his energy from. “That energy is in my creativity.”
Although his music is strongly rooted in Suriname, he does not see himself exclusively as a Surinamese musician. “I am a musical citizen of the world. I enjoy everything. For example, I really love Brazilian music and compose a lot in that style. But Suriname remains my roots. You can always hear that, especially when I swing with my flute.”
Snijders continues: “Music is not the only way to enjoy life, but it is a powerful way to reach and connect people.”
Prosperity and adversity
He remembers a special moment in Portugal: “I saw people making music and thought: ‘how do I reach them?’ I grabbed my flute, walked over to them and within seconds I was their friend. They didn’t want to let me go.”
He also uses music closer to home to touch people. For example, he played on a packed KLM flight during New Year’s Eve. “I walked through the plane swinging, singing and dancing. You could see the happiness on people’s faces. That was one of the most beautiful things I have done.”
In addition to successes, he has also had setbacks. “Not everything went smoothly. I also experienced unpleasant things, such as discrimination.” That is precisely why he is working on his biography, in which he wants to record his entire life story. But he also has a photo book about his extensive career and a collection of poems coming out.
Performances
Snijders remains active internationally. On Ketikoti (July 1) he will perform with the Jazz Orchestra of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. On July 11 he will perform with his own band at the North Sea Jazz Festival, where he has already performed dozens of times. “It remains special. It is the largest indoor jazz festival in the world.” The musician can be seen at the Kwaku Summer Festival on August 1.
In addition to his musical passion, he is socially involved. For example, he is concerned about the high number of traffic accidents in Suriname. “Things like that touch me,” says Snijders.
