From Kwakoe to Kwaku
“To understand how Kwaku originated, you must understand the history of the Bijlmer,” says Guilly Koster, who was there from the first hour. In the 70s, many Surinamese moved to Southeast, shortly after the independence of Suriname. In the summer, white children left the city, but there was little to do for Surinamese children. “They were left behind,” says Koster. This is how the idea arose to organize a football tournament.
The first edition of the then Kwakoe took place at the Amsterdam Poort. During the practice matches for the football tournament, the goal posts were heaps of clothing. The atmosphere was cheerful and pleasant. While the matches were played, local residents began to sell Bami, oranges and lemonade on their own initiative, often from the trunk. “It was the first place where the Surinamese community came together,” says Koster.
In the following years, the event became bigger and bigger every year. Now Kwaku has grown into a popular, internationally visited festival. It takes four weekends and attracts around 150,000 visitors annually. Various artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Frenna and Trafassi performed here in recent years. Ivette Forster has been at the helm for the last 11 years. “What is unique about Kwaku is that it has grown from a neighborhood party to a national happening. People planned a holiday around Kwaku, because it is so popular.”