Sega (genre)

Sega
Stylistic origins	African music (most notable Malagasy music)
Cultural origins	Mauritius
Typical instruments	maravanne/kayamb (rattle), moutia (hand drum), ravanne (goatskin drum), triangle, bobre, vocals
Fusion genres
Santé engagé, seggae
Regional scenes
Mauritius, Rodrigues, Agalega, Réunion, Seychelles
Other topics
Maloya, Moutya

Sega (French: Séga) is one of the major music genres of Mauritius, the others being its fusion genre Seggae and Bhojpuri songs. It has origins in the music of slaves on the island, and is usually sung in creole. Sega is also a popular music on the islands of Agalega and Rodrigues as well as Réunion and Seychelles, though the music and dances differs and it is sung in these islands' respective creole languages. In the past, the Sega music was made only with traditional instruments like ravanne and triangle, it was sung to protest against injustices in the Mauritian society, this particular version of the Sega is known as Santé engagé.

The music's traditional form was largely improvised and intensely emotional and expressed the tribulations of a subjugated, initially enslaved, people. It is primarily dance music but was also used for dirges and as part of traditional exorcisms.

Traditional instruments include:

There is also the tantam which a stringed instrument consisting of a gourd with a bow attached played in time to the drum. Nowadays, electric guitars and keyboards are used.

The lyrics of sega music usually relate to the lives of the inhabitants; they do not usually relate to the musicians' ancestral homeland.

Sega is danced without the feet ever leaving the ground. Instead, the rest of the body moves.

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Wikipedia