Sega music

Sega ( fr. Séga ) is a dance music style, which is on the islands of Mauritius and Réunion ( the Mascarene Islands ) and distributed in the Seychelles. He arose from the traditional folk music of Mauritius and Reunion with influences of European dance music like polka or quadrille. Sega is often played on the traditional folk dance of Réunion. In the modern variant is often mixed with other genres, such as reggae or jazz.

The Sega music is originally from the Mascarene Islands. Meanwhile, it is also common on other islands, as these musical form spreads very strong in the Indian Ocean region.

The origin of Sega music

Sega was founded in the 18th century on the islands in the western Indian Ocean, as a mixture of European and African culture. Traditional instruments such as the rattle Maravanne, hand drum Moutia, the triangle and the Fidel Bobre. Originally it was improvised music to express the suffering of enslaved population with strong emotional elements. It was also used as funeral music and the traditional exorcism. Sega is usually regarded as typical mauritian.

Modern forms

Although it is mainly réunionesische and Mauritian music, Sega music is now also common in the Seychelles, Comoros, Mayotte, Rodrigues Island and parts of the coast of Madagascar.

Seggae

Seggae is a combination of Sega and reggae, a Jamaican music style that is known in the region of origin of Sega. Seggae musicians are, for example, Ras Natty Baby and Sonny Morgan and the late singer Kaya.

Variations of the individual islands

On the island of Réunion is next to Sega a slower dance music genre, maloya, played, which is not identical to Sega. In Mauritius Sega Ravenna is played, unlike maloya with a much more emphasized bass. On the Sega Tambour Rodrigues (or segakordeon ) is widespread, the, compared to the other variants is significantly faster. Sega Tambour is mostly sung by women, with only a couple dances, accompanied with clapping or improvised percussion instruments, such as table legs or glasses. Seychelles Sega is called Moutia, is similar to the Sega of Réunion. The Seychellois music is heavily influenced by western ballads, and especially country music.