Ramdew Chaitoe

Ramdew Chaitoe was a Surinamese artist and a harmonium player, who released a Chutney/Baithak Gana album called, "The King Of Suriname a.k.a The Star Of Ramdew Chaitoe" in 1967.

Born on December 19, 1942, Ramdew, like many children at the time, grew up on a farm. His father, songwriter/lyricist & harmonium instrumentalist Pandit Shastrie Sewpersad Chaitoe, was a considerable influence on Ramdew, inaugurating his son early in the musical artform, by having his son perform weekly at Hindu temple ceremonies. This inevitably allowed the young Chaitoe to become skilled at his craft, thus allowing him to perform with the top singers and composers in Suriname as he matured. Throughout his travels in the Caribbean, Chaitoe gained not just experience, he also acquired a strong reputation as a skilled harmonium player and singer.

In 1967 Chaitoe released The King Of Suriname a.k.a The Star Of Ramdew Chaitoe". This album is considered to be the first Chutney/Baithak Gana album ever in Suriname. Moreover, due to the exposure that he received from this album Chaitoe became a household name not just in Suriname but in the Indo-Caribbean world as well. In the popular manner of composition at the time, Chaitoe composed this album with religious and folk songs of the Bhojpuri region. These songs like blue bhajans which captivated audiences with the Chaitoe's artistic trend not just in Suriname but all over the Indo-Caribbean community. Chaitoe is regarded as of the best singers of the Caribbean in the genre of Baithak Gana which is still seen as the authoritative music genre in Hindoestanen community. Though on June 6, 1994 Ramdew Chaitoe's life was cut short as he passed. He left behind dozens of pieces of music to his thousands of fans throughout the Indo-Caribbean world. Chaitoe's favorite dholak player was a Leon Seodarsan, who had a great passion and devotion for classical Indian music.