Sega (genre)
Sega (Folkloric Performance Art) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Stylistic origins | Moutya
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Sega (
, the latter being much closer to the older, typical music influences originating from Madagascar. The variety of different sega forms is reflected in the multi-ethnic populous of the indigenous population of Mauritius.Sega (Traditional Mauritian Sega, Sega tambour Chagos, Sega tambour of Rodrigues Island) have been included in UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage lists.
Sega has its roots in the music of
Description
The music's traditional form was largely improvised and intensely emotional and expressed the tribulations of a subjugated, initially enslaved, people.[2] It is primarily music to dance to but was also used for dirges and as part of traditional exorcisms.
Instruments
Traditional instruments include:[3][4][5]
There is also the tantam, which is a stringed instrument consisting of a gourd with a bow attached, played in time to the drum.[6] Nowadays, electric guitars and keyboards are used.[6]
Lyrics
The lyrics of modern sega music usually relate to the lives of the inhabitants; they do not usually relate to the musicians' ancestral homeland.[7]
Dance
Sega is danced without the feet ever leaving the ground.[3] Instead, the rest of the body moves, with an emphasis on the hips and waist. For women this involves the use of large, colourful, circular skirts and short sleeved, sleeveless or off the shoulder tops bearing the mid riff to accentuate their moves. Traditionally, men wear colourful shirts and shorts and straw hats are popular in the ancient styles.
History
Origins
Sega music originated among the slave populations of Mauritius and Réunion and later spread throughout the Seychelles. It is usually in 6/8 meter and has an associated dance form.[8]
Sega's exact origins outside the islands are unknown.
Gatan Benoit suggested that sega came from
Place in society
Historically, Sega was looked down upon because it was the music of slaves.[10] It was also looked down upon by the Catholic Church, which was not keen on its association with sexuality and alcohol.[11]
Until the Mauritian artist Ti Frère became popular in the 1960s, sega was only played in private places.
Modern varieties
Sega is now popular across the islands of Mauritius, Réunion, Seychelles,
Santé engagé
Santé engagé is a genre of Mauritian music which consists of singing protest songs. It is a way to protest against injustices through music. The genre mixes traditional Mauritian sega with Indian influences.
Seggae
Seggae is a fusion of sega with reggae, a kind of Jamaican popular music that is very popular across sega's range. Seggae musicians include Ras Natty Baby, Sonny Morgan and the man seen as being the founder, Kaya. Kaya, whose real name is Joseph Reginald Topize, was at the height of his career in 1999 when he was found dead in a prison cell. Riots followed soon after causing one of the major social upheavals in Mauritius, termed the 1999 Mauritian riots.[13] Kaya's music is, however, still very popular and has inspired contemporary musicians to expand the Seggae genre.
Regional varieties
Réunion
In Réunion, sega is relatively slow, and is danced by couples who are not as physically close as on Mauritius. There is some confusion as to the usage of the words maloya and sega.
Rodrigues
Traditional Rodriguan sega is
Seychelles
One form of Seychellois sega is called
Chagos Islands
The
See also
References
- ^ "SSO – Université de la Réunion".
- ^ ISBN 9781845450755. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
- ^ ISBN 9781741047271. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
origin sega music.
- ISBN 978-0-7391-1676-0.
- ISBN 978-90-04-51010-4.
- ^ ISBN 9781843303015. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
- S2CID 145422743.
- ISBN 9780415263542. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
- ^ ISBN 9780865439801. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
- ^ ISSN 1872-5457. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
- )
- ^ a b c d des Rosiers, Brigette (1992). "Ile de la Réunion: musiques et identité". Canadian Journal for Traditional Music. Retrieved 2009-12-17.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
- ISBN 9781841621517. Retrieved 2009-12-17.
polka sega.