Maroon Day in Suriname: Christian concert in Independence Square

On the night before National Maroon Day in Suriname, the central Independence Square of Paramaribo was filled with people. Various bands played secular and religious music, all in the Sranan Tongo language as well as various Maroon languages. The Maroons of Suriname are descendants of Africans who escaped slavery in the 1600s and 1700s. They fled far into the jungles of this strange new land, formed communities, developed common languages and found a way to survive. New societies and cultures emerged, following a very African way of life deep in the jungles of South America. It is a fascinating and inspiring history, and a privilege to meet these people whose ancestors overcame overwhelming odds in order to be free.