Seychelles gearing up for Festival “Liberte Metisse” in La Reunion Island

The Seychelles delegation, in La Reunion for the fourth edition of Festival “Liberte Metisse,” said it will be giving its best at the event.

The Seychelles delegation, in La Reunion for the fourth edition of Festival “Liberte Metisse,” said it will be giving its best at the event.

The 20 member-strong team will be staging a colorful performance in the coming days, showing its respective islands’ support to the festival commemorating the abolition of slavery.

Before flying out to La Reunion for “Liberte Metisse” – an annual festival held on December 20 – the Seychellois delegation has worked tirelessly to make sure their performance is not only spectacular but also in keeping with this year’s theme of ” liberty and recognition of the islands’ rainbow nation.”

For those lucky enough to attend the official opening ceremony on December 20, Seychelles’ opening performance starts with the sounds of a “bon,” a traditional stringed instrument which is vaguely reminiscent of the Kora found in Western Africa.

Members of the Seychelles National Dance Troupe dressed as slaves will illustrate the sufferings of the then slaves through dance, giving their take on the dark times in the Indian Ocean Islands’ history.

Tony Joubert, commonly known as “Raspyek” in Seychelles, will then take to the stage with his poem “Here in Diasporas,” a mixture of both English and Creole verses, narrating the “story of a liberated slave.”

Joe Samy – a familiar voice in Seychelles and the Vanilla Islands – expects to mesmerize the crowd with “Eau des Iles” and his signature tune “La Digue.” Female vocalist, Michelle Marengo, will then join him on stage to perform “Cafe au lait girls.” The Seychelles’ performance will continue with more dance and Michelle closing the curtain segment with a rendition of her best hits.

In addition to performances, visual arts will also be given plenty of exposure during the festival, further showcasing the islands’ rich cultural heritage.

Urny Mathiot and Jude Ally are also on La Reunion Island with a selection of photographs and paintings – Seychelles’ contribution to this celebration of cultural heritage.

For those already on La Reunion for the “Liberte Metisse” festival, the strong Seychellois delegation has prepared a spectacle for their entertainment.

This La Reunion Island festival is listed as their Vanilla Islands event. For the Seychelles it is their annual Carnaval International de Victoria that is staged during the last weekend of April that is their Vanilla Islands event.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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