S\u00e9ga is the traditional music of Mauritius (a small island off the coast of Madagascar) and is known as the \u201cblues\u201d of the Indian Ocean. The music was born during the 17th to 19th centuries by African slaves dancing to improvised music incorporating rhythms from their homelands in West Africa, Mozambique, Zanzibar and Madagascar. From these diverse influences sprang a new, insular dance and music, the s\u00e9ga.<\/p>\n
Though initially marginalised, by the mid-1960s s\u00e9ga music had become a symbol of national pride and identity for Mauritius. With the advent of electric instruments, the influx of funk, soul and jazz from the West and the growth of LPs, s\u00e9ga went commercial. Dancefloors started grooving to a more soulful, funky s\u00e9ga beat and s\u00e9ga artists popped up across the island with a new generation of charismatic singers becoming national stars including Claudio, Jean-Claude and Coulouce. S\u00e9ga, sung in Cr\u00e9ole, now united all the communities of the island. Mauritians from the European, African, Indian and Chinese communities, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, all danced and enjoyed s\u00e9ga.
\nFollowing excursions into rare tropical and island sounds with the Sofrito series, and the Haiti Direct and Calypsoul 70 albums, we\u2019re proud to present a collection exploring the incredible s\u00e9ga sounds that emerged from Mauritius during the 1970s, Soul Sok S\u00e9ga, compiled by DJ duo La Basse Tropicale (Natty H\u00f4 and Kons\u00f6le), based in the neighbouring island of La Reunion.<\/p>\n
Soul Sok Sega features extensive sleeve notes from long time Mauritian cultural champion, Percy Yip Tong, including new artist interviews, photos and original vinyl artwork. All formats are unmixed, made up completely of tracks that have never been re-issued internationally.<\/p>\n
Strut<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0Strut<\/strong><\/p>\n S\u00e9ga is the traditional music of Mauritius (a small island off the coast of Madagascar) and is known as the \u201cblues\u201d of the Indian Ocean. The music was born during the 17th to 19th centuries by African slaves dancing to improvised music incorporating rhythms from their homelands in West Africa, Mozambique, Zanzibar and Madagascar. From these diverse influences sprang a new, insular dance and music, the s\u00e9ga.<\/p>\n
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