FUZZ AND SOUL SEGA FROM 70 S MAURITIUS

Description

THE PEARLS OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF SEGA A tax haven and dream destination for wealthy travelers, the Republic of Mauritius is a multiethnic country experiencing significant economic and social growth. But just a stone's throw from the paradise beaches and luxury hotels, near-slums remind us that a large part of the population, often Creole (of Afro-Malagasy origin), remains excluded from the 'Mauritian economic miracle.' These Creoles are mostly descendants of slaves who were massively deported in the 18th and 19th centuries from Madagascar and the coasts of East Africa for the cultivation of spices, coffee, and later sugarcane. On the fringes of the hell of plantations, a music called tchiega, chéga, or tsiega is clandestinely recomposed, a distant cousin of the blues. From the gradual evolution of this original sega, a unique music will emerge in the singular context of Mauritius in the 1970s, which this selection examines. At the crossroads of Afro-Malagasy, Western, and Indian cultures, a musical phenomenon is born, as surprising as the blossoming of a tropical flower, blending pop, soul, and funk arrangements, syncopated ternary polyrhythms, distorted guitars, psychedelic organs, and Creole vocals. Psychedelic keyboards, fuzz guitars, and undulating basses join the furious ternary polyrhythms of drums, ravannes, bongos, claves, triangles, and maracas to produce a unique style. Here are some pearls from this golden age of sega from Mauritius, compiled for our greatest pleasure!