A short history of sega
Torn from their land and deprived of their freedom, African slaves took a part of their origins and culture with them on their ships and carried it around the world in song, music and dance - forms of "resistance" that drew incredible strength and vitality from human suffering. It was in the 18th century, during the period of French colonization, that African slaves brought their sung poems and dances to Mauritius, which they practiced clandestinely with makeshift instruments. The term "sega" did not appear, however, until the early English period and the abolition of slavery in 1835. Linguist Robert Chaudenson assumes an evolution from the word "tchiéga" to "séga", with the hypothesis of a Mozambican etymology. In Swahili, the word "sega" means "to raise, to roll up one's clothes" and could refer to the gestures of the sega dance, particularly those of the women. a "negro dance", far too sexualized for the colonists, the sega was played and danced in the interiors of the Creole community.
In her study on La danse des pouvoirs, Caroline Déodat analyzes sega as "an open dance that does not function through embracing, and rarely involves touching. The contact established between partners is not body-to-body, but through a game of attraction and repulsion". In this dance, the woman plays the pivotal role of the couple: everything revolves around her and her large, multicolored skirt. The man, wearing a puffed shirt and wide pants that reach below the knee, successively "cuts" another man's dance to take his place and start a new one. This dance begins standing up and ends "downstairs", with some pretty wiggles.
It wasn't until the 1950s that sega arrived on the public scene, highlighting Mauritian multiculturalism. The first Sega Night took place in 1964, organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Commerce. Today, all hotels offer a sega show, with the dancers inviting tourists to join in and learn the steps. But sega isn't just a folk show for travelers with a thirst for the exotic. It is first and foremost the dancing banner of a nation, a true Mauritian joie de vivre that extends to all visitors.
Sega drum
While the sega born in the 18th century with slavery has blended with other cultures in Mauritius, the drum sega played in Rodrigues and the Chagos is undoubtedly closer to its Madagascan and African roots. As its name suggests, this sega is a powerful, fast-paced rhythm played on a drum made from goatskin. While the instrument closely resembles the ravanne (see séga typik), it often has small bells on the sides to give it a distinctive sound. Other instruments include the triangle, the bwat rape, the bobre and the katchia katchia (a bag of vacoas leaves sewn together and containing acacia seeds). Other instruments made from recycled objects complete the orchestra. If everyone can interpret and dance the sega drum in their own way, there are only about twenty groups left to play it at balls. In addition to the Rodrigues sega drum, there's the sega kordeon, which is more in keeping with the European tradition, and whose main instrument is easy to guess.
Typical Sega
This traditional music uses three main instruments: the ravanne (a kind of large tambourine consisting of a wooden hoop over which a goatskin is stretched and heated over a fire before playing), the maravanne (a rectangular instrument filled with seeds that produces a maracas-like sound) and the triangle. The lyrics evoke everyday life and are improvised. The dance is a dance of desire, during which people brush against each other, rolling their hips but never touching. This traditional sega has come down to us thanks to Jean-Alphonse Ravaton, aka Ti'Frère, the king of sega. When Radio France asked him to record a CD in 1989, Ti'Frère was 89 years old. He had only been a household name in Mauritius since 1964, thanks in no small part to his most famous songs: Roseda and Anita.
Away from the island's main tourist areas, you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the villagers playing this traditional sega around a large wood fire after dark. Or, more easily, you can try to join a Mauritian family on a Sunday afternoon on the beach, where, after a swig of rum, you can hear the hits of modern sega performed with traditional instruments - the ravanne and a few tin cans more often than not.
Modern Sega
Since the 70s, Mauritian bands have been using Western musical instruments: electric guitar, bass, drums and synthesizers. This modern sega has its stars, such as Denis Azor, whose song Alalila crossed borders , Serge Lebrasse, Roger Clency and the group Ravanes Sans Frontières, whose song Noire la Rivière Noire is a hit. He was increasingly exported, as demonstrated by the Mauritian song Ambalaba, covered in French by Maxime Leforestier to great acclaim. The 1980s also saw the emergence of a derivative form of sega, seggae, a musical fusion of reggae and sega. Invented by the Rasta group Racine Tatane and emblematic of the youth of the black community, this music, which advocates peace and understanding between the different ethnic groups of Mauritius, quickly became a real success. We particularly recommend the album Lapé Iniversel by Racine Tatane, as well as the albums by the group Natty Rebels.
Discography
To discover sega, streaming platforms have Séga Mauricien playlists. Some albums to take home:
The essential Best Séga of the year.
Cassiya and Zotsa albums.
Lespri Ravann, especially the Langaz album.
Otentik Street Brothers, for rega tunes: a blend of rap and sega.
Blakkayo: a great Dancehall artist
Alain Ramanisum, sega with synthesizer.
