Sega Dance: The Soulful Sway of Mauritius

Mauritius Moves to the Beat: The Sega Dance

• The Mauritian Sega Dance is more than just the steps. Its the historical tapestry of enslaved African people and Malagasy people. The music and dance was created with instruments such as the goat-sized drum (ravanne), metal triangles, even coconut shells and utensils transformed into percussion tools.

• The dance itself is a group performance where the dancers are swaying their hips to the pulsating beat of the ravanne. As the ambience and energy builds up, there are couples who might emerge for a dance, engaging in a joyful moment for them. As the sega roots lie in a fusion of African and Malagasy rhythms, there is also an influence of European such as the polka and waltz music combined together as a fusion to form the Sega beat of the music. Overtime, lyrics shifted to Mauritian Creole language therefore solidifying its connection to the island.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_(genre)#:~:text=Sega%20(Traditional%20Mauritian%20Sega%2C%20Sega,Mauritian%20Creole%20or%20Réunionese%20Creole

• Its a dance that speaks volumes about the Mauritian spirit, which consists resilience, joy and a deep connection to our roots. The energy of this dance is contagious, inviting everyone on the dance floor and move to the rhythm of Mauritius.