Previously unreleased 80's jazz-funk from Suriname by Sonny Khoeblal.
Updated: Aug 20
The music of Thalamus is a time capsule of the post-independence period of Suriname. Sonny Khoeblal and the band members found themselves in a society learning to rise on their feet, asking fellow countrymen who came from other parts of the world to aid in standing up. During this turbulent time, Thalamus used the language of jazz to express their desire for unity and freedom.
The generation of Thalamus envisioned a future beyond the ethnic divide their parents knew as social barriers. After independence, young people met at work or in universities and shared principles of unity and international solidarity. People from other countries came to the country and more affluent individuals of Surinamese society, such as Sonny, were able to study abroad. During the Cold War, international relations were tense. Jazz played an important role in translating tensions and experimenting with a sound of the future. Thalamus is a unique recording of this revolutionary period, with new people finding each other based on a universal language: jazz-fusion.
After releasing his first jazz-funk single Arrival-Born Again / Craziest, Sonny was approached by a band of Surinamese students. They started playing together, drawing on shared interests in jazz-fusion from Weather Report, Chick Corea, Bob James and Carlos Santana. Compared to contemporaries with more pop appeal, like Symphonie, the sound of Thalamus remained obscure in Suriname. After including wind instruments, synth players and a vocalist, the band gained a following playing at house parties. People listened to them bending conventional rules of jazz, pop, latin, rock and funk. This fusion reflected the band, its diverse members and their country: Suriname is a multi-ethnic country by colonial force. If diamonds are formed under pressure, love and solidarity emerge under oppression. The band and the music embody this unlike anything.
After 6 months of playing together, Sonny went to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He learned about jazz music theory, arranging and engineering. Jamming with international students and attending concerts by Al Jarreau and his future mentor Chick Corea also developed his understanding of music. After a brief moment in Los Angeles, Sonny regrouped with Thalamus in 1980, bringing home new knowledge, a Fender Rhodes and chorus pedals. Sharing these with the band and reworking their previous compositions, the sound of Thalamus became more mature, developed and composed. It culminated in six songs, two of which are 'Summer of Love & Music' and 'Lady Amazone'.
After recording the songs at Sonny’s home, the band concluded their work. Cassettes were made and passed around privately. Friends and fans called the music ‘ahead of their time’. The band’s fire and passion remained and before long, they were talking about reuniting Thalamus in 1982.
1982, however, marks a turning point in Surinamese history and it also influenced Thalamus. The country was living under military dictatorship after a group of sergeants committed a coup two years prior. Fifteen progressive union leaders, journalists and broadcasters who criticised the regime became victims of what is known as the ‘December murders’. One of these was André Kamperveen, whose radio station ABC supported Sonny’s earlier work. The regime disbanded radio station ABC and all recordings.
Other progressives felt tensions rising, among them two band members of Thalamus who were student faculty leaders. After the murders, they fled to the Netherlands. This abruptly concluded the musical journey of Sonny and the band. And so, Thalamus became one of Suriname’s best kept secrets in music history. The recordings were archived by band members and revived 45 years later. This 7" vinyl brings you their story, their experimentation with jazz-fusion and tells the parallel history of Suriname.
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