'Adjossi En Andere Poku's', a compilation of the greatest hits (or "poku's" in Sranantongo) by Max Nijman, Suriname's absolute soul god, is part of the Sranan Gowtu ("Surinamese gold") series, a collaboration between the Dutch Top-Notch Music label and the Surinamese soft drink producer Fernandes. Compilations of the work of other Surinamese music heroes (Lieve Hugo, Trafassi, Papa Touwtjie) were already released or are in the making and simultaneously Fernandes is bringing a range of cans bearing the portraits of the artists in question to market. If you've ever flown with the Surinaamse Luchtvaart Maatschappij, or Surinam Airways, you'll know the status Max Nijman enjoys in his home country, as every flight is still concluded by playing his 'Ai Sranang', an evergreen that can be considered Surinam's unofficial national anthem, and there isn't an undertaker in The Netherlands or Surinam that doesn't have a copy of Nijman's 'Adjossi' laying around. After suffering heart problems, Max was forced to call it quits in 2012 and this compilation is therefore an appropriate culmination of his more than fifty year long career.

If you'd like a nice taster of what Surinamese music is like, we'd recommend you purchase the 'Sranan Gowtu' compilation: seventeen tracks from Max Woiski Sr.'s 'B.B. Met R. (Bruine Bonen Met Rijst)' over Lieve Hugo's 'Blaka Rosoe' and Papa Touwtjie's 'Soor Mie Oenoe Hand (Gangster)' to Damaru's 'Mi Rowsu', the song that was the catalyst for this whole revival of Surinamese music. And yes, Trafassi's 'Wasmasjien' was of course also added to the track list of 'Sranan Gowtu'!