Kid Dynamite

Arthur Parisius a.k.a. Kid Dynamite (1911-1963) was born in Suriname. Here, he was introduced to the natural religion called winti, which would deeply influence his life and music. In the late 1920s, he was one of the first blacks to arrive in the Netherlands. His fame as a musician grew and in the 1930s he and his band played in various clubs. Their swinging jazz, inspired by South American music, was immensely popular with the public, although jazz purists considered it too commercial. In the late 30s, the authorities turned against this ‘nigger music’, and many clubs were forced to close down. After the war, Kid Dynamite went on another tour across Europe, but later the popularity of his music faded. In 1963, he died in a car crash in Germany. Kid’s life story is told by former colleagues and friends and by his ex-wife Bep and his sons.