Bhojpuri and the sega music and dance are part of the Mauritian culture. Today we can hear one of the two types of music at most celebrations. The history of Bhojpuri and sega music in Mauritius are deeply rooted as they are directly connected with the first settlers of the island. To know more about the origins of these two forms of music, we need to first know about the history of Mauritius.
The Republic of Mauritius is a small island of around 2000 square kilometers found in the Indian Ocean. It was first discovered by the Arab traders who named it Dina Arobi around 975 AD. In 1507, Portugese Sailors landed in Mauritius and left the island after a brief stay. In 1598 came the Dutch sailors who exploited the ebony forests found in the island and established the sugar cane plantation which they brought from Java. They gave the name Mauritius to the island in Honor of Prince Maurice Van Nassau. The Dutch later abandoned the island.
The French came to Mauritius in 1715 naming it “Isle de France”. In 1810 after the battle of Grand Port the British captured the island and renamed it Mauritius. The British brought laborers from India to develop the island. Mauritius gained independence in 1968. Other smaller islands like Rodrigues, Agalega and St Brandon also belong to Mauritius.
The séga music and dance appeared in Mauritius from the slavery epoch, most probably during the French colonization of the island. It was a way of expression of the slaves. Sega is sung in the Creole language. It is the foremost traditional music of Mauritius originated from the music of African slaves and the Maroons, and shaped by their Creole descendants. Eminent traditional Sega singers from Mauritius include Alphonse Ravaton also known as Ti Frére, Serge Lebrasse, Michel Legris and Fanfan. The sega has now developed into seggae and reggae which are popular music forms in Mauritius. Today Mauritian artists perform R&B, hip hop, soul, techno, rap and other popular music styles. Below is a famous old sega song called “Mo Capitaine” by Michelle Legris who is one of the pioneers of sega in Mauritius.
The Bhojpuri music is also a very popular form of music in Mauritius. Bhojpuri form of music and dance was brought to Mauritius by the indentured laborers who came to work from India. These Indian immigrants have brought their own styles of music, along with instruments like the dholak and jhal. Indian laborers were brought to the Island by the British to develop the sugar cane plantation. The “Geet Gawai” which is part of the Bhojpuri folk songs heritage, is a pre wedding ceremony that has been recognized by the UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. Bhojpuri music was reinvented and popularized in Mauritius by the Bhojpuri Boys who encouraged many other singers to come forward. Below is a mix of songs by the Bhojpuri boys during their initial days.