William Souvenir

Combining the salsa of Latin America, the calypso of the Caribbean, and the indigenous music -- including the French-influenced zouk -- of Africa, William Souvenir has created an infectious dance music. His songs convey their messages of political struggles, personal experiences, and romance despite being sung in a mixture of Aucan, Saramaccan, Sranang, and Tongo. A native of Surinam, a Dutch colony near Guyana, Souvenir grew up near the capital city of Paramaribo. A self-taught guitarist, he played with a series of calypso groups before moving to the Netherlands at the end of the 1970s. After performing with Dutch calypso singer Mighty Botai's band, Souvenir embarked on a solo career in the early '80s. His self-produced debut album, A Tin Tele, was released in 1990. His second album, Na 'f Mi 'Wang, followed two years later. ~ Craig Harris