3.6 An introduction to sega: the music and dance of mauritius  (Page 3/4)

Elements of sega music

Rhythm - The original sega tradition, developed by the enslaved populations from Africa and Madagascar, included rhythms strongly influenced by both the simple, repetitive beat of European dance music and the more complex rhythms and syncopation favored in African traditions. Later, a distinct change in the typical sega rhythms is occurred in response to music traditions brought from India, and modern sega rhythms are influenced by world traditions such as reggae. Though different eras and styles feature noticeably different rhythms, a strong, repetitive dance beat, enlivened by syncopations in the melody and bass line, remains the typical basic rhythmic quality of sega.

Lyrics - The lyrics are usually in Mauritian Creole, but sometimes in French. A refrain/verse form is typical.

Melody and Harmony - The typical texture is a vocal melody with a chord-based string accompaniment and plenty of percussion. Tuning, melody, and harmony elements can be considered Western, without the pitch or tuning ambiguity of some combination genres (such as blues).

Instruments - The traditional sega band strongly favors rhythmic percussion instruments, to create an irresistible dance beat. The maravanne is a rattle. The moutia is a hand drum. The ravanne is a large, shallow frame drum; a goat skin is stretched over a wooden frame, sometimes with jingles added to make it a tambourine. The triangle is a metal triangle hit with a metal stick, similar to those seen in the percussion section of an orchestra. The bobre is a musical bow: a single string stretched from one end of a stick to the other (like the bow that shoots arrows, which also often makes an audible twang). A gourd is added to the bobre as a resonator. More modern-style sega tends to replace the bobre with a stringed instrument from the world-music tradition, such as guitar.

Dance - Sega music often includes dancing. Typically one or more women or girls will dance at the same time, often using similar movements, or loosely coordinating their movements with each other.

Stylistic Variations - Sega is believed to have been influenced by similar, but distinct, traditions on Reunion Island and the Seychelles. There are now several distinctive styles of Mauritian sega. Alongside the more traditional, folkloric style, new varieties that have been influenced by other world music genres, such as reggae, are also very popular.

Suggestions for discussing recordings

• Describe the instruments.
• How are they similar to instruments that are familiar to you? How are they different?
• Describe the dance.
• Describe the beat, tempo, and rhythm of the music.
• What is the typical dress for musicians and dancers?
• Is it similar in any way to more familiar kinds of music and/or dance? Which ones, and in what ways is it similar?

Dance activity

As an entertainment-type dance that does not require difficult steps or close coordination between dancers, sega is an ideal dance activity to share with young students.

Goals and standards

• Goals - Students will practice and demonstrate rhythmic awareness and motor coordination by dancing with the appropriate movements, in time to the music.
• Objectives - The students will learn basic left-and-right swaying and stepping motions typically used in dancing to sega music. The students will then practice dancing in time with the music.
• Grade Level - K-12 (adaptable)
• Student Prerequisites - none
• Teacher Expertise - Teacher expertise in music is not necessary to present this activity.
• Time requirements - 15-25 minutes. Can be combined with the introductory discussion to fill one (approximately 45-minute) class period.
• Evaluation - Assess students based on active participation, and, when appropriate, on demonstration of the necessary motor skills and rhythm skills.
• Music Standards Addressed - National Standards for Music Education standard 9 (understanding music in relation to history and culture).
• Other Standards Addressed - The activity also addresses National Council for the Social Studies standard 1 (culture) and 9 (global connections), and National Dance Association standards 1 (identifying and demonstrating movement elements and skills in performing dance) and 5 (demonstrating and understanding dance in various cultures and historical periods).