by Steven Seedo
PARAMARIBO — “It’s something different again. We’re going to the people. The festival season – with large open-air festivals, … ed. – is over, now we go into the halls. This is a series of concerts in a row,” says Edgar ‘Bugru’ Burgos the True Time about the concert tour of the dance and show band Trafassi through the Netherlands.
The formation is still going strong after 45 years. The new concert tour, which started on September 11, exactly 45 years after its founding, is proof of this. The kick-off took place in Amstelveen, followed two days later by Arnhem. The Hague will be next on September 23, Sneek will follow on September 26, while Amersfoort and Roermond will be on October 1 and 2.
“I never thought we would keep this up for so long”
According to ‘Bugru’, Trafassi wants to be close to the audience and fans with the tour. The concerts are a festive mix of kawina, kaseko and chutney. With the current series, the dance and show band shows once again that 45 years after its founding, the musical story is far from over. The band continues to run – and according to Burgos, “without a brake for the time being”.
After more than four decades, there seems to be no question of stopping. “We are still going strong,” Burgos emphasizes. He also notes that there has been no decline in popularity or the number of performances. “Our performances for 2027 are already fully booked,” he boasts.
Versatile musical heritage
Burgos himself did not expect that Trafassi is still so active after 45 years. “I never thought we would keep this up for so long,” he admits honestly. For the leadman 2026 also became “a special year”, because he is celebrating his sixtieth anniversary in showbiz. The frontman, who calls himself the ‘King of Exo-Pop’, is one of the longest active names within the Surinamese-Dutch music scene.
With an impressive series of hits, collaborations with major artists and performances on various stages, Trafassi has developed into one of the most versatile bands with roots in the Netherlands and Suriname. The group’s musical experience is also still appreciated by younger artists. For example, rapper Keizer, Poke and the Dutch rap group De Jeugd van Nooit collaborated with Trafassi or made use of the band’s musical expertise.
Trafassi’s versatility has brought the group to various stages and festivals over the years. From Kwaku and LatinVillage Festival to Lowlands, Holland Zingt Hazes, Pasar Malam and the Zeeland Harbor Days.
