The Teenager Of Big Dreams - Meet Docu Star Shabu
Meet Sharonio “Shabu” Abisoina, a characterful, fame-driven, wannabe rapper whose life has been depicted in all its colourful glory by documentary filmmaker Shamira Raphaëla. Since the films release in 2021, Shabu's story has been shared around Europe gathering hype for the uniquely cinematic approach Shamira Raphaëla captures Shabu through. Now landing in the UK, newly distributed by T A P E collective, 'Shabu' is gaining traction for the joyful, tender depiction of adolescence while shining a light on the interiority of Shabu's Dutch-Surinamese upbringing.
The film starts in the colourful environment of Rotterdam’s De Peperklip estate where Shabu lives. Having originally planned to film Shabu and three of his friends, Shamira Raphaëla's plan hit a wall after Shabu crashed his grandmother's car, resulting in him being grounded by his family and set to spend the summer holiday working to earn the €1200 he owed her. This turn of events resulted in being the key storyline for Shamira's documentary, capturing 14 year old Shabu selling popsicles, working in the local grocery store and taking us on a journey through the adolescent lens of Shabu's teenage drama.
As the shining star of this documentary, Shabu has an obvious ease for being on camera and expressing his emotions. Very rarely do we feel the camera intruding on his personal life, but instead, it is shot through a creative lens of colourful celebration and compassion. At 14 years old, Shabu seems older than his age due to his confident, larger than life self expression. However, innocent teenage growing pains are depicted in conversations between Shabu and his closest friend Jahnoa, as well as his "wifey" Stephany reminding us of the innocence of his years. It is in this way that Shamira Raphaëla's poignantly documents Shabu by sharing what goes on beneath the surface of social interactions. Lengthy scenes show Shabu on his own, struggling with finding solutions to pay back his grandmother until he lands on the idea of throwing a party and charging €2 per ticket. We see that Shabu is still "the little boy from Peperklip" (quoting the song Shabu sings as the party), full of childlike joy and, although maturing, is still in need of adult care and guidance.
The more we know of Shabu, the more his sparky, rhythm-filled soul starts to shine. From humourous one liners to displays of deep emotions, we witness multiple sides of Shabu's personalilty within a landscape of friendship and love. Holding this story together is the familial environment Shabu is surrounded by. Filmed in and around his home, we are introduced to his parents, his neighbours, the traditional Suriname band he is part of and finally his Grandmother. What we see play out are Shabu's considerable learning curves and moments of spiritual guidance embedded in the deep roots of Shabu's Surinamese family traditions, showcasing rituals related to coming of age and purification, as well as mature philosophical conversations between Shabu and his father.
Two years since the films release and we get to meet Shabu on a recent visit to London launching the distribution of the film. The 14 year old boy we've gotten to know on screen has transformed into a grown man. At 17, Shabu's life has continued to center around music and drumming, matching the steady beat of his restless hands with his desire to grow and evolve to one day become a millionaire. We got to sit down and ask Shabu some questions about how his life has been since starring in the documentary.
How would you describe yourself Shabu?
I'm a king! Big and nice
Who are your icons?
Burna Boy, Davido - they're chill, relax
Tell us about your love for music?
Ever since I was little I loved music, I'm born with it.
“Through the film I became older and learned how to take responsibility, and how to be accountable. Looking back at the film, I see myself because I am who I am.”
How did you find the experience of being on camera?
I love the spotlight! Something inside of me means it comes naturally
What does music mean to you?
When I make music it’s when I feel most confident. I play in a traditional cultural Surinamese band and the people there are like my brothers. We play music, train three times a week and perform. When I play, it helps me express my emotions. Everything that needs to come out of me comes out.
We see you express your emotions freely in this film. Do you hope to inspire other boys to do the same?
I hope so but everybody has their own path, their own pace but I do hope I can inspire them.
When do you feel most self-conscious?
When there's too much pressure on me, I can't handle that well and I get annoyed
What dream do you wish to come true?
That I can buy anything for my grandmother that she wants.
