The Rhythm Remains. A Celebration of Diaspora Sounds and Freedom With Free Heri Heri For All

As part of Keti Koti, Hiphophuis, House of Knowledge, Kunstinstituut Melly, and Operator Radio come together in collaboration with KIP Republic's Free Heri Heri initiative to celebrate freedom and remembrance through food, music, and togetherness. Visitors are invited to pick up a free Heri Heri meal and gather with others while sharing in this special moment.

Throughout the afternoon, musical guidance by Mo Wrights and Watra Zola will accompany the meal experience, creating a soundtrack for reflection, connection, and celebration. The program will be livestreamed by Operator Radio, allowing the sounds to reach a wider audience.

PROGRAMME

Free Heri Heri meals

Come pick up free Heri Heri meals throughout the afternoon.

Live music & radio

Mo.Wrights and Watra Zola will be playing from 12:00 - 15:00, streaming live on Operator Radio.

ABOUT KETI KOTI

Keti Koti is an originally Surinamese Commemoration on 1 July. Keti Koti means “the breaking of chains” and symbolizes the end of slavery. On 1 July 1863, the Kingdom of the Netherlands abolished slavery in Suriname and the former Netherlands Antilles with the Emancipation Act. However, it took until 1873 before actually all enslaved people were free. 1 July 2023 marked 150 years since then.

2026 HEIRLOOMS

This year’s theme is Heirlooms. What do you pass on, and what do you leave behind?

The illustration by Zenzy Blindeling, the campaign image for 2026, serves as the starting point. Jewellery as heirlooms. But we want to look beyond objects: which traditions, customs, stories or memories do you consider important enough to pass on? What have you consciously or unconsciously inherited? And what do you choose to leave behind?

ABOUT HERI HERI

Heri Heri is a traditional Surinamese dish consisting of cassava, plantains, sweet potatoes, fish, and eggs and was cooked by many enslaved people during the transatlantic slave trade. It is a symbol of remembrance and honors the ancestors. Free Heri Heri for All, founded by Arya and Ira Kip, aims to raise awareness about this historic day and foster community through a shared meal. In memory of the slavery past of the Dutch Kingdom and to connect the past with the present, throughout the country, the Surinamese dish Heri Heri can be eaten for free and together. In this way, the past is not forgotten and the promise of a more just future is possible.