When you think of Mauritius your mind automatically conjures up images of a tropical paradise. You wouldn't be wrong in your thinking but check out the cultural side too...

Mauritian architecture

The influence of the island’s French and British colonial history is evident in its architecture. You can see everything from modest bungalows to elegant mansions.

A balance is struck with the architecture of the sugar estates. Their style of steeply pitched roofs with turrets and dormer windows is reminiscent of this French/English design.

You’ll appreciate the coolness offered by most of the houses verandahs. They’re bordered by fancy balustrades. Not only do they take off some of the Mauritian heat but they also provide a place to meet and relax.

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Entertainment the Mauritian way

If you find yourself in the island’s capital, then entertainment’s limitless. Try the old Port-Louis theatre.
The theatre also echoes with the sounds of gospel music, jazz and blues. If you’re a keen jazz or blues enthusiast, then you’ll appreciate that many musicians of international repute are Mauritian.
Think Ernest Wiehé, Philippe Thomas, Dean Nookadu, José Thérèse and Eric Triton!

The sega and the seggae

Sega’s the island’s very own brand of traditional local music. It’s also known as sega-ravanne by locals. You can find albums of this sort at specialized record shops such as Neptune in Port Louis or Agora at Riche-Terre.

To steer you in the right sega direction, try to find albums by Kaya and his group Racinetatane. Why you ask? He’s the inventor of seggae which is simply sega with a reggae beat. He has become even more popular since his passing in 1999, so his legacy lives on.

Painting

Art lovers behold. Don’t miss out on the exhibitions of local artists. Their works are exhibited at the Mauritius Institute and the School of Fine Arts of the Mahatma Gandhi Institute in Moka.

You can also try the Alliance Française at Bell Village and the Centre Culturel d'Expression Française (CCEF) at Curepipe.

Be sure to check out famous painters such as the late Malcolm de Chazal and Hervé Masson. The younger generation is also showing promise. They include Khalid Nazroo, Krishna Lutchoomun, Nirmal Hurry, Mario Ng, Henry Koombes, Nirmala Luckeenarain and Nalini Treeboohun.

Literature

Mauritius is not short on the list of writers with international prestige either. Take Malcolm de Chazal for instance, he’s well-known and widely read. He’s known especially for his Sens-Plastique. It’s a work consisting of several thousand aphorisms and pensees.

Inspired by the lives of the common people, Marcel Cabon’s also a famous literary writer. The list of up and coming authors include Ananda Devi, Alain Gordon-Gentil, Barlen Pyamootoo, Carl de Souza and Shenaz Patel.

Creole is the island’s vernacular and is a popular language for local writers.Dev Virahsawmy remains a popular advocate of the Creole language.

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