Rodrigues Island Culture

The Rodriguan traditional music such as the sound of the sega drum and accordion have today become symbolical to the Rodriguans. You can definitely not leave the island without dancing to the sega or assisting a musical play at the many musical gatherings.

Cultural awakening which occurred at the end of the 1970s allowed the construction and consolidation of the cultural identity of Rodrigues through the development of these various elements, which form the base of the culture of every nation: food, music, and crafts.

It should be noted that, there is a great influence of the Catholic religion in everyday and cultural life of the population.

Religion, respect for tradition and family are very crucial for the Rodriguan life.

Today, it can be seen that the local music and traditional dances are quite used during shows in hotels and other cultural events.

Rodrigues Traditional Music

The typical Rodriguan traditional music was born out of the fusion of the different musical backgrounds of Africa, Madagascar and Europe. The most ancient style is the Séga tambour. The songs, carried by the dazzling vocal strength of the women and the frenzied rhythm of the drummers, without forgetting the accompanying dance steps, resemble closely those that we can see and hear in black Africa.

The Sega tambour is often considered to be the authentic folklore music and dance of the Rodriguan people. But, in fact, the traditional music of Rodrigues is not summed up in this form, which represents only a small portion of the musical wealth of the island. Inherited from the different colonial periods, we can today dance on music reminiscently named: Mazok (mazurka), Laval (waltz), Kotis (Scottish), Polka, Romance as well as a variety of Segas such as the “Séga Quadrille” or the “Séga Kordéon”.

Likewise, the accordion is very popular at traditional balls taking up the tradition of “ranne zaricot” that are held on Sunday afternoons. The person who finds the bean in his slice of cake, or is crowned king or queen of the ball, must return the favour at the next ball.

Local Crafts at Rodrigues Island

The history of craftsmanship in Rodrigues is as old as that of settlement on the island. While visiting the capital, you will surely find small crafts shops where there is a number of craft products that are displayed for sale.

The use of local materials such as vacoa (pandanus) and the vetiver gave birth to a real economic activity based on basketry – baskets, headgear, table mats, etc. Activities thus developed around the use of coconut by-products, screen printing or even wood sculpture. Local designers now offer works in keeping with the style of the day with a vision stemming from the dynamic of tradition in everyday life.

Religion

Roman Catholicism is the religion of a large local majority and one of the greatest prides of the Rodriguan people is to have welcomed Pope John Paul II in 1989. The island has also been granted the status of apostolic vicarage recently, with a full-fledged bishop since 2002.

The Sunday mass at the Sacré-Coeur Cathedral in Saint-Gabriel gives an indication of the attachment of the population to the expression of its faith. Other religious communities complete the picture, namely the Church of England whose followers are essentially grouped around Port Mathurin, Church of the Seventh-Day Adventists and the Assembly of God.

The island also has a small community of people of Chinese origin that are integrated in the Christian churches, Muslims and Hindus.

The Island’s Creole Gastronomy

Food is another important aspect when it comes to culture, it is a means of retaining cultural identity and tradition. People from different cultural backgrounds eat different foods. The ingredients, methods of preparation, preservation techniques, and types of food eaten at different meals vary among culture.

The typical Rodriguan cuisine is a fusion of different cuisines inherited from the diverse cultures of the population.

The authentic flavours are due to the natural freshness of a variety of local produce, the traditional know-how and recipes that have run in families for generations.

Get ready to tantalise your taste bud with a great choice of dishes: cono-cono (a shellfish) salad said to have aphrodisiac virtues, a traditional corn soup, steamed crab with garden spices, an octopus curry on a bed of home-ground corn and red kidney beans from the garden, an émincé of beef in a sauce, pork in honey, boiled country ham with fine herbs, a cabri-sauté (goat) with local flavours or some country chicken with ginger and curcuma.

All of it served with an assortment of condiments – sweet and sour lemon pickles, chilli and mango, papaya or octopus pastes. And for dessert, a papaya sorbet, a coconut and honey pie, sweet potato or manioc pancakes or even a traditional corn pudding for dessert.