Explore Sega on Josplay Music Sega was a form of entertainment and ceremonial music with intricate, romantic dance routines. The rhythmic pulse from the Ravanne highlighted couples engaged in vigorous dancing without touching each other. A common form of Sega starts slowly and gradually rises in tempo until the dancer is stretching, swaying, and using very animated movements to keep pace. The instrument Ravanne, which provides the primary and most noticeable rhythm of Sega music, is the heartbeat of Mauritius and Sega music. The Maravanne provides the swing in Sega music and the dance of the person playing the instrument as it swings from side to side.
Sega is a polymorphous performing art form – dance, music, rhythms, story-telling, and song in the Creole language – rooted in the creative practices of African and Malagasy people who either were enslaved under French colonialism on the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius or came after the abolition of slavery. Sega refers to the indigenized or Africanized songs and dances performed by enslaved Africans in the French colony of Mauritius in the eighteenth century.
Spin-Offs: Seegae
The roots of Sega are tied to the African word "segae," meaning "to move in rhythm," emphasizing its rhythmic essence. The genre took shape in areas like Le Morne Mountain in Mauritius, a refuge for escaped slaves where Sega music and dance became a symbol of freedom and resilience. In this setting, Sega’s social and cultural role solidified, celebrating the Afro-Malagasy heritage of the Creole community.
Sega music gained broader appeal through the works of "Ti Frère" (Jean Alphonse Ravaton), recognized as the "King of Sega." His 1925 track, Tamassa, recorded in 1948, marked the first recorded Sega in Mauritius and helped the genre overcome the stigma it initially held as "vulgar" music. Despite these early misconceptions, Ti Frère’s contributions to traditional Sega Typik were pivotal. In the 1970s, Sega evolved with artists like Cyril Labonne, Serge Lebrasse, and Ti L’Afrique, who electrified Sega by incorporating rock, funk, and jazz elements. This era also saw the rise of Seggae, a fusion of Sega and reggae led by Kaya, that combined Sega’s rhythmic heritage with reggae’s messages of social justice, further diversifying Sega’s modern appeal.
Sega music is expressive and heartfelt. the voices use simple refrains and topics may be sexual in character. Melodies employ triadic patterns that are sung in ranges that exceed one octave, The loudness and emotions in the melodies increase and fall in octave, lending an emotional aspect to the piece. Harmonizing is usually straightforward.
After the abolition of slavery, former slaves moved out of the plantations but carried their history and cultures with them through the genre’s poetic forms, musical arrangement, instrumental range, and dance performance. Despite being a huge part of the life of Creole people in Mauritius, it did not go mainstream until the 1960s, when Ti Frère became one of the island’s biggest acts, marking Sega’s journey to becoming the national music of Mauritius. Over the years, Sega has changed with the introduction of more western influences and the birth of sub-genres. The 1980s saw the introduction of reggae to the influences of Sega artists, with artists like Kaya, going on to form Seggae, a blend of Sega and reggae. Menwar, founded the sub-genre known as Sagaï, a form of music where acoustic sounds and beats prevail.
Modern Sega music incorporates various instruments such as drums and melodic instruments such as the electronic piano, although the underlying rhythm can still be heard. Even in the most recent Sega versions, the beat signature is generally 6/8.