“God created Mauritius first and then Paradise”, the words of Mark Twain. And immediately one thinks of the crystalline ocean, the talcum powder beaches, the emerald forests. But speaking of God and Paradise, on this island another aspect is also surprising, more directly linked to religion: Mauritius is a multicultural miracle perhaps unique in the world, because ethnic groups and faiths are not limited to living side by side. , but they interpenetrate. In the capital Port Louis it turns out that the Catholic Cathedral of Saint James is in the middle of the Muslim quarter, while the huge Jummah mosque is in the Chinese quarter, and the Tamil Temple helps to make the Catholic quarter more beautiful. It takes a proven trend towards multiculturalism to mix religions so systematically, without ever sparking the ethnic clash. And in Mauritius this miracle happens.
The foam of the waves breaking on the coral reef borders the horizon
Here coexistence is a value rooted at least since 1810, when the British conquered Mauritius but instead of driving out the French who had already settled, they confirmed their properties, the use of the local language and even the laws of the Napoleon Code. Two hundred years later, the great French families still own some of the most beautiful historical places to visit. The Château Labourdonnais, with an adjoining rum distillery, is worth a visit; or the Rhumerie of Chamarel; or the Maison Eureka, perhaps the most evocative and lightly restored colonial house, which seems to have been inhabited by grandparents wearing wigs until yesterday.
The “Seven Colored Earths” (or “Seven Colored Lands”) in Chamarel, within Mauritius
Despite the flood of French names, the official language of Mauritius is English. But the one spoken by everyone (including Indians and Chinese) is Creole, that is a mongrelized French for which (for example) “moi” is written “mwa” and Port Louis is written “Por Lwi” or “Porlwi”. On the other hand, in Creole it is not possible to say or write everything at all, because many words are missing; and then the Mauritians integrate it with standard French, which thus gains ground, year after year and generation after generation. It may one day supplant Creole entirely.
What will certainly never be canceled is Creole music. In “Porlwi” the International Kreol Festival takes place almost every year between November and December, involving Mauritius and the rest of the Creole world. We say “almost” every year because in 2020 the coronavirus forced the forfeit and also this year, at the moment, it is not expected to do so. But the music doesn’t stop. At the base of this music there is a traditional dance, whose name in Italian sounds a bit ridiculous, written “séga” and pronounced “segà”. It is a dance that has its roots in the slavery past of the Africans who arrived here by force; its appearance is playful, but the lyrics of the songs that accompany it are tragic. This tradition hybridized just thirty years ago with Jamaican reggae music, and has produced an original mix (the “séggae”) which is sung in French Creole. Mauritius is even home to a small community of Rastas, whose very imaginative and colorful shacks can be photographed near Chamarel.
In the séga dance, the girls hold the hems of the long skirt up, in a game of seeing and not seeing. Says the dancer Desirella, perhaps with a slightly pompous incipit: “I am proud to interpret the culture of my country”. And then, with more sobriety: “I love it when I bring the audience to hear this music as if it were theirs.” Sandrine: “This dance is a way to get in touch with other people, and get rid of stress and frustration.”
There is a small difficulty, experienced in this pre-Covid period reportage, because there are no other institutional places, besides the Festival, dedicated to these Creole music and dance performances; however, looking for them in person can be an incentive to mingle with the local people. Explain Ornella and Prattima, two Mauritian friends in their thirties, not professional but passionate dancers: «Creole dances and reggae are danced and played in pubs and hotels, but you have to get information by word of mouth, or on the Internet. And then we Mauritians do our traditional beach dances on Sundays. We carry musical instruments with us. This is a great show ».
As for the beaches, the Mauritian sea is unmatched by any other in the world, but making a list of the recommended places here would leave the time it finds. We only allow ourselves to suggest a day on a catamaran starting from Grand Baie, near Trou-aux-Biches (in the North) or a less demanding boat trip to Ilot Mangenie (on the East coast) from which, in the hours of low tide , you can walk to the Isola dei Cervi, which in reality does not even have deer to pay them gold, but it is beautiful.
Let’s go back to quoting Mark Twain: “God created Mauritius first and then Paradise”.
Luigi Grassia is the author of the book “In the footsteps of Mark Twain”, The Minotaur
