The Bridge Tamarin Eco Arts Festival

This is a first in Mauritius! And it looks like the Bridge Tamarin Eco Arts Festival will be awesome! Just imagine a multicultural festival for which the theme is environmental protection! Doesn’t this sound awesome? The goal of this festival, scheduled for October 2nd, 3rd and 4th in Tamarin, on the west coast of the island, is to raise awareness about the environment and protection of the planet. With the support of the Mauritius Commercial Bank, this festival will definitely be an innovative showcase for art, creativity and ecology. 

During these three days, artists from all the artistic and cultural fields will be communion in Tamarin. Music, dance, theater and street art, painting exhibitions, photography, sculpture... These are all the Mauritian, regional and international art scenes which will be present. The participation of several well-known personalities of the local public, such as Zulu, Mister Love or Catherine Yoan is to be noted.

Nearly a hundred artists from different backgrounds will come together so you can experience a unique festival in the Indian Ocean. The festival will happen in four different locations in the heart of the village of Tamarin, an emblematic location in Mauritius. The performances and exhibitions will be held at Riverland Sports Club, at Big Willy's Bar, on the Place Cap Tamarin and in Tamarin Bay.

For the organizers the “the aim of the festival is to create a bridge full of creativity and respect for others and for nature. Values ​​which are at the heart of the beauty and strength of (our) island”. Everything will be set up in a very specific spirit, that of “ecological well-being and healthy eating”. All decors of the festival have been made from recycled objects. Over 200 hours of information sessions and workshops of creative, ecological and welfare training will be offered to the public, so as to help them discover healthy ways of living, in order to better preserve the planet. A dozen booths will be installed on the different spots of the festival to offer awareness sessions on the wealth and destruction of terrestrial and marine ecosystems to those who express interest on these matters.

Preserving the planet and bringing this idea in people's minds become a priority for all. With this type of operation such as the Tamarin Bridge Eco Arts Festival, Mauritius shows its involvement in this action.

Music Festivals: Move it in the Indian Ocean

When we talk about vacationing in the Indian Ocean, people very often - almost always actually - think of postcard images combining beaches, turquoise lagoons and coconut trees. But holidays not only resume to sunbathing. The Indian Ocean is also "the place to be" for partying. Many, many, parties and festivals are held throughout the year on all the destinations of this part of the globe. To make it easy for you, we have listed the upcoming musical events that will take place in Mauritius, Reunion Island, Seychelles and Madagascar in the coming months.

Whether musical or not, Reunion Island highly values ​​its cultural heritage. That is why many festivals are organized throughout the year. Early May was held the 7th edition of Electropicales in the heart of Saint-Denis. An annual event that gathered on three stages over a dozen electro-techno DJs. The 8th edition of the festival is already scheduled for 2016. Next month, from June 5th to 7th, is scheduled Sakifo Music Festival in St. Pierre. This festival brings together more than 30 artists from all backgrounds and musical worlds. Amongst them are artists such as Artur H, Cats On Trees, Fauve, the Wampas, Skip the Use, Julien Doré, Tiken Jah Fakoly and Zulu. Next September will be held the Manapany Festival in St. Joseph. This original gathering combines surfing and climbing competitions together with concerts of local artists.

Mauritius also hosts several musical events during the year. May 16th was scheduled at the Château de Labourdonnais an evening for all techno-trance fans with Dash Berlin. The famous DJ Jeffrey Sutorius was there to set the dance floor on fire. In a completely different genre, from May 19th to 24th, the Festival Passe Portes in Grand Bay subtly mixes theater and music. It offers a variety of plays and concerts including those of Zulu and Amaury Vassili. On June 4th, will take place the Seggae Zwe Festival at the stadium Germain Comarmond in Bambous. This important musical event will welcome local artists such as OSB Crew, Ras Minik and Linzy, all Seggae specialists. Seggae is a typical Mauritian music style, a mix between Sega and Reggae. And finally, for fans of the genre, the Colmar International Festival is scheduled from July 3rd to 14th. This classical and jazz music festival will bring together some 50 artists and orchestras.

In Seychelles, from October 25th to 31st will take place the Festival Kreol of Mahé. Various artists of all Creole-speaking islands will perform in Victoria Square. Their commonality ? Their Creole music. So if you want to discover creole music and its culture and move your body to the rhythms of creole music, you know where to go in October…

This overview of the region's festivals ends with the Donia festival of Nosy Be, in Madagascar. This is one of the oldest festivals in the Indian Ocean region. The 22nd edition began on May 16th and will end on May 24th. It showcases mainly Malagasy and African artists.

One sure thing is whatever the time of year, you will undoubtedly find in the Indian Ocean, a festival where you can move it, move it, shake it, shake it…