Drum Workshops

When I start a talk, I often begin with the sound of the traditional Sega drum, or a traditional song. This is to acknowledge the traditional music styles of Sega, Moutya and Maloya as the original channels through which ancestors conveyed Indian Ocean Creole histories. It’s with that same idea in mind that I’ve been developing these drum workshops as ways of sharing history through participation in music. The workshops teach how to play basic sega, moutya and maloya beats on three traditional instruments – the Sega drum, the triangle and the kayam. At the same time they deliver some Indian Ocean folklore connected to the music and explore histories of the styles and instruments, how they survived being banned and how Indian Ocean Creole is connected to other Creoles from the Caribbean.