From this year, the Matawai Festival will be a recurring event. The organising Stichting Development Events & Festivals, the driving force behind the event, wants to make its mark on the Surinamese community.
Rachella van Reeth-Gadden, chair of the foundation, states that the festival, held between September 4 and 6, attracted much attention and brought back the old village feeling. This pleases her greatly. Various leading artists performed in the village, including Wan Ede, Psycho, Metter-Z, Jah Hands Baas, Tyga and Bigstar Tega. There were also activities for visitors, such as a cultural market where people could experience live how pangi, kwak and cassava bread are made.
Van Reeth-Gadden notes that the identity of the Matawai community must not fade. Especially with people leaving the villages, as a result of which hardly anyone remains living there. The chair states that the aforementioned festival shows the existence of this community to the world.
Reeth-Gadden states that organising such events is difficult. Nevertheless, she says the Matawai community must be promoted more positively and that the event must continue. The chair expects that these activities will lead more people to travel to the Matawai area. “In this way, we also want to show who we are.” She emphasises that, in the beginning, organising the activities took a great deal of time and energy, especially in terms of logistics. The cabinet of the granman (paramount chief) and Zijin Rosebell Goldmines also sponsored the organisation.
Levelling the road was also a challenge, according to the organisation. According to the chair, however, it was worthwhile. “People came to the festival. When you walked through the village and went to the river, you saw so many people. You feel and see it again. For me, the festival was truly a success.” In addition to the Matawai area, the organisation also intends to target other areas in Suriname to organise such activities.
Reeth-Gadden emphasises that the Matawai area is more than the small village of 21-Bergi, which sometimes appears in the news in connection with porknokkers (small-scale gold miners). “We are more than that. Unity, solidarity and peace are there. We are a bit djugu djugu (disorderly), but that is Matawai. We are people of peace and we are sociable people.” She adds that, as an individual, one should not forget where one comes from, because otherwise one is lost as a person.
