Sega, the heartbeat of Mauritius

Music born of slavery

Sega grew out of the music of enslaved Africans and Malagasy people and of the maroons, and was handed down to their Creole descendants. Sung in Creole, it gave voice to grief, mockery, love and revolt. It is still played at family parties as much as on the beach around a fire.

Traditional sega, heritage of humanity

In 2014 UNESCO added "Traditional Mauritian Sega" (often called séga tipik) to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO describes it as emblematic of the Creole community. The songs, in a minor key, gradually speed up while dancers sway their hips and hands to a percussive beat. The soloist improvises lyrics in Creole, and the choreography often acts out their meaning.

The rhythm comes from a frame drum (the ravanne, goatskin stretched over a wooden hoop), a box rattle (the maravanne) and a triangle. Women wear long skirts and petticoats; men wear rolled-up trousers, colourful shirts and straw hats, in memory of their ancestors' dress. The skills are passed on by joining in and imitating.

Rodrigues and the Chagos

Sega tambour of Rodrigues Island was inscribed in 2017. Here the drum leads, with the triyang and struck or clapped objects, the bwat and the mayos. It is performed in homes, in the street and at celebrations. In 2019 Sega tambour Chagos was added to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

Geet-Gawai, the other musical treasure

In 2016 Mauritius also had Geet-Gawai inscribed: Bhojpuri folk songs of communities of Indian descent. This pre-wedding ceremony combines rituals, prayers, songs and dance: five married women sort turmeric, rice, grass and coins in a cloth while everyone sings in praise of the gods, to the sound of the dholak, a two-headed drum.

Key figures

Jean Alphonse Ravaton, known as Ti Frère (1900–1992), is regarded as the father of sega; he was crowned "King of Sega" in 1964. In the 1970s, artists such as Serge Lebrasse and Michel Legris electrified the genre. Later, Kaya (1960–1999) created seggae, a blend of sega and reggae.

Where to hear it

Many hotels hold sega evenings, often tailored to tourists. For a more authentic atmosphere, ask about village festivals and local concerts, and on Rodrigues, look out for sega tambour performances.