Entangled Pasts, Archipelagic Futures: AfricAsian Islands, Arts and Literatures
4 - Swaying to the Rhythms of Archipelagic Encounters: An Exploration of Afro Jaune's Séga
Saturday, June 14, 2025
11:15 - 13:00 GMT
Location: LAB-02
Presenter(s)
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Nikhita Obeegadoo
The University of Chicago, United States
Presentation Abstract The rich musical tradition of sega is today hailed as the national song and dance form of the Republic of Mauritius, an African archipelago in the Indian Ocean. However, before reaching this point of national recognition, the sega’s journey has been replete with obstacles. It originated as a form of creative resistance to dehumanization by the enslaved peoples who toiled on the archipelago's sugarcane plantations; later, it was appropriated as a form of entertainment for tourists in hotels, and thus instrumentalized by the very colonial-capitalist interests that it meant to resist. Today, while it is officially depicted as a national cultural form enjoyed by Mauritians of all origins, its performance in certain Afro-Mauritian or Creole contexts continues to suffer from stereotypes. My presentation focuses on sega music produced by the Sino-Mauritian artist Chelsea Ing Seng Ah Yuen, also known as “Afro Jaune.” I ask: What does it mean for a Mauritian of Chinese origin to perform the sega? This interrogation is embedded within the heart of Afro Jaune’s pieces: it is a question that the artist grapples with, including in the direct identification of, and engagement with, discriminatory stereotypes. Afro Jaune's sega performances are thus not illusory “postcard perfect” representations of a multicultural paradise. Rather, I propose that they are unique musical explorations of the complex dynamics of creolization and cultural encounter in Mauritius today.
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