The Fate of the Sugar Industry on the Island of Ma...

The Fate of the Sugar Industry on the Island of Mauritius This 64 year old resident of Triolet [a village in Northern Mauritius], starts his long and laborious day cycling his bicycle for some kilometres to get to work, while the rest of the village sleeps. Still, Parmanen’s morning routine does not constitute the hardest part of his day, it really begins when he starts work in the sugarcane fields. Parmanen has been...

The Franco-Mauritian Elite

Tijo Salverda, a Dutch anthropologist, was recently in Mauritius to discuss the publication of his recent book. He is a Research Fellow at the University of Cologne’s Global South Studies Center and a Research Associate of the University of Pretoria’s Human Economy Programme. His research interests include elites, power, and global investment chains.  He wrote his PhD on the Franco-Mauritians, whom he describes...

Charles-Edouard Brown-Séquard : Mauritius’ Most Fa...

Charles-Edouard Brown-Séquard: Mauritius’ Most Famous Son   The Blue Penny Museum, in Port Louis, is hosting an exhibition to celebrate the life and work of Charles-Edouard Brown-Séquard between December and February. Brown-Séquard was born to an American father and a French mother at Port Louis on 8 April 1817. He became a celebrated medical practitioner and is regarded as a founding figure in the fields of neurology...

COOL!TUDE – Cultural Identity

COOLITUDE – Transversal Identity according to Raphael Confiant   Raphael Confiant, the celebrated author and ‘militant créole’ from Martinique discusses coolitude in an article published in French recently. Below is an edited résumé in English of his musings on the subject: Confiant writes, there are two ways of conceptualizing cultural identity: one is the conservative, purist way, of not wanting to mix one...

Nou Capav!

‘Nou Capav!’ The December 2014 election in Mauritius generated a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement. So many Mauritians made an investment, be it financial, emotional, or physical – displaying their political affiliation in clothes, in songs and slogans. Elections can be life-changing events for citizens, however, many people in Mauritius who dream of a better tomorrow, feel that we do not have much of a choice...

Exhibition: Fire-Fighters, 1893…

The Blue Penny Museum at Caudan, Port Louis, will soon be hosting an exhibition on the history of fire-fighters, and the fire brigade, on the island of Mauritius. This remarkable institution, which has been of great service to the islanders and country dates from the very end of the 19th century, to a time when a great fire, in 1893, ravaged parts of the city of Port Louis. Through locally crafted tools to the latest...