Dutch National Opera

KETI KOTI | CLUB RIGHTABOUTNOW @DutchNationalOpera

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Photo: Michel Schnater

Dates

1 July 2024

Location

Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Foyer

Running time

1:20, no interval

Tickets

From € 10

Keti Koti celebration by Dutch National Opera & RIGHTABOUTNOW INC. with free Heri Heri

Event as part of Theatre for Keti Koti

To mark the close of the Slavery Remembrance Year in the Netherlands, Dutch National Opera and RIGHTABOUTNOW INC. have teamed up again in 2024 to commemorate Keti Koti with a celebration of music and theatre. We will remember and look back on Dutch colonial history, strengthening our ties with the partners we know and love, and seeking out new connections.

Diverse programme

During this diverse programme, we will hear stories of injustice and suffering, as well as tales of pride and defiance – harnessing the transformative power of song, dance, music and spoken word.

Actor Kimberley Agyarko will kick off the programme by delivering Tula’s traditional opening monologue. Other performers who will be at the event are multidisciplinary storyteller Xillan Macrooy, dancer Lorenzo Saro and multi-instrumentalist Benjamin ‘Bnnyhunna’ Ankomah, who is currently working on youth hip-hop opera Lennox. Caribbean brass band Ritmo Entertainment and ZA-EL Gospel Choir will also be there to bring their soulful sounds to the stage.

Similar to last year, Surinamese stand-up comedian Jeffrey Spalburg will be hosting the event. After the programme, patrons are invited to enjoy a complimentary drink of Surinamese ginger beer and a free meal. In collaboration with Cusin’s Catering, we will be serving heri heri, a dish made with a variety of root vegetables, plantain, dried and salted cod, and a boiled egg. Heri heri is a traditional Afro-Caribbean dish that dates back to the time of slavery in Suriname. It is a dish of celebration and remembrance.

Jeffrey Spalburg

Host

Kimberley Agyarko

Actor

Xillan

Multidisciplinary storyteller

Lorenzo Saro

Dancer

Bnnyhunna

Multi-instrumentalist

Ritmo Entertainment

Caribbean brass band

ZA-EL Gospel Choir

Gospel choir

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Nation-wide celebration: Theatre for Keti Koti

Silences are broken and perspectives are shifting. In the pursuit of fostering an open and resilient society, more and more forgotten histories have come to light recently, shedding light on narratives that have unjustly been marginalised for years. The colonial past is one of the dark chapters in the annals of Dutch national history and its effects are felt to this day. That is why, four years ago, the idea was conceived to honour the memory of the victims of slavery and to celebrate the abolition of slavery through theatrical productions.

Nation-wide celebration: Theatre for Keti Koti

Since then, Theatre for Keti Koti, which sets the stage for commemorating this shared national past, has slowly but surely developed into a recurring nation-wide programme. Initiatives are underway to turn this into a joint theatre tradition that will eventually become just as established, well-rooted and ingrained in the Dutch cultural landscape as the annual Theater Na de Dam programme.

Dutch National Opera is committed to giving a platform to diverse voices in Dutch society. By taking part in Theatre for Keti Koti, we are showing that we are steadfastly invested in presenting diverse perspectives and telling stories that will help us forge a meaningful connection between the past and the present. We are proud to be working with Theatre for Keti Koti to create a nation-wide tradition of celebration and commemoration.

RIGHTABOUTNOW INC.

RIGHTABOUTNOW INC. (RAN INC.) is an interdisciplinary hip-hop and urban production house. Founded by Marjorie Boston and Maarten van Hinte, RAN INC. casts the spotlight on a new generation of creatives and artists by hosting events, organising exhibitions and developing social initiatives, both in and outside the Netherlands.

RIGHTABOUTNOW INC.

Boston and Van Hinte have directed and produced a variety of successful interdisciplinary productions, including Status with Hans Dagelet and Anton de Bies, Tori with HNTjong, Kibra Silensio with Ritzah Statia (winner of the Amsterdam Fringe Award 2021) and Queen of disco (winner of the Toneelschrijfprijs playwright award 2023). Their critically acclaimed production Kings recently toured the Dutch theatres. RAN INC. is currently preparing for Desirée, a theatre monologue written by Felix de Rooy and Norman de Palm.

A few seasons back, Van Hinte wrote the libretto for How ANANSI freed the stories of the world, making his debut as a stage writer for Dutch National Opera & Ballet. This production will be revived by Dutch National Opera & Ballet in the coming season. Van Hinte is also working on a new libretto for youth hip-hop opera Lennox. This production, which is based on a book by Zindzi Zevenbergen, Hedy Tjin and Brian Elstak, will also be performed in the upcoming season

RAN INC. offers a platform for creatives and performers whose stomping ground is the city and who see hip-hop as their main outlet. It is a space for artists with diverse vantage points and multifaceted perspectives, reflecting the rich tapestry of the city’s cultural fabric. Diversity is, after all, the cornerstone of cultural renewal and artistic innovation.

rightaboutnowinc.com