09 Apr

19:30

Felix Meritis

Keizersgracht 324, Amsterdam

XILLAN presents OPO OSO, an evening celebrating Surinamese queer legacy and the art of shapeshifting, exploring stories of identity, transformation, and cultural heritage with several guest artists.

Xillan Opo Oso

More info & tickets

XILLAN presents his OPO OSO, an evening celebrating Surinamese queer legacy and the art of shapeshifting. Together with Zaïre Krieger, Jonathan Tjien Fooh, Charisa Chotoe, Zulile Blinker, and Maarten van Hinte, he explores stories of identity, transformation, and cultural heritage.

OPO OSO is a Surinamese term for open house. In recent years, XILLAN has been building a new artistic foundation as a shapeshifter, and on this evening, he celebrates the co-builders, people, and creators who follow the same vibration. For his performance, XILLAN built an altar for his hero Edgar Cairo, a stage for shapeshifting, and a table to share with makers who are also building new worlds.

Line-up

XILLAN

XILLAN (Xillan Macrooy) is a Surinamese-Dutch storyteller in music, literature, and theater. As a product of multiple worlds, the continuous transformation of identity plays an important role in his work. He is now exploring new ways as a creator to celebrate his multiplicity, with the goal of building new artistic worlds that offer space for both (Surinamese queer) legacy and innovation.

Zaïre Krieger

Zaïre Krieger (1995) is a journalist, theater maker, and spoken word artist. Her poetry has been featured at the Van Gogh Museum, TEDxAmsterdamWomen, and in Carré at Keti Koti in Concert. She is also the winner of a Spoken Word Award. Her work has previously appeared in De goede immigrant (2020, Uitgeverij Pluim), a collection compiled by Dipsaus Podcast, and De plaats die je paradijs noemt (Meulenhoff).

Maarten van Hinte

Maarten van Hinte, along with Marjorie Boston, is the creative force behind RIGHTABOUTNOW INC. They pioneered hip-hop theater in the Netherlands with Made in da Shade and were the founders and curators of the legendary MC theater – a production house and stage for theater, dance, music, and club culture. At RIGHTABOUTNOW, van Hinte is a writer, director, curator, and coach.

Charisa Chotoe

Charisa Chotoe (1993) is a Dutch-Surinamese poet, presenter, and journalist. By sunrise, she is a geopolitical journalist for Bureau Buitenland at VPRO, but as evening falls, poetry remains. Chotoe was one of the finalists of the SPOKEN! awards 2024 and has performed her poems on stages such as the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Nieuwe Luxor Theater in Rotterdam, and at more venues throughout the country.

Jonathan Tjien Fooh

Jonathan Tjien Fooh is a Surinamese poet, writer, and researcher. Sharing stories as a form of connection, resistance, freedom, and healing is central to his work. His work explores themes such as mental health, climate justice, queer intimacy, and the colonial legacy. His short story ‘De Laatste Dukun’ was recently published in the collection Onafhankelijk. Suriname: 50 schrijvers over 50 jaar Srefidensi.

Zulile Blinker

Zulile Blinker is an internationally acclaimed spoken word performer, writer, and creative director from Suriname. In her work, she connects language, identity, and stories that originate from Caribbean oral traditions. She works in Dutch, English, and Sranantongo, and in her performances, she brings together social themes, history, and personal stories through various platforms: stage, film, theater, radio, media, and more. She is the founder of Platform Support Suriname, a foundation dedicated to the development of young, creative talent and cultural exchange. Through her performances, Blinker builds bridges between the Caribbean and the diaspora, where story becomes both movement and connection.

Language

We start from Dutch because it is part of the historical context in which the Surinamese creators move and work. This means that we will conduct the event as much as possible in Dutch, but there will also be occasional switching between Dutch, English, and Sranantongo.