Mauritius : Nightlife

The local music is a mix of African and other sensual sounds, which in an ensemble creates extremely vibrant, lively and 'gyratable' music. The local dance form is the sega - a folkloric dance of African origin, performed by a team of six or more, wearing colourful clothes and with very robust movements. This erotic dance is pulsated by the beat of the ravane, a circular drum, and other rhythmic instruments like the maravane and the triangle. Danced and sung by the slaves, the sega has been adopted by all Mauritians and is played on all occasions. More recently a new sound, a mixture of the sega and reggae music has found its way in the Mauritian musical culture - fusion music called the seggae - that has found its way to the nightclubs and the mainstream of Mauritian local music. There are also traditional music and dances that have been introduced by the Indian and Chinese migrants coming to Mauritius, with dances performed in colorful saris accompanied by the sitar and tabla. There are also the very colorful Chinese traditional dance with ancestral lion and dragon dances being the best known. Most of the big hotels organize special cultural shows where you can see these dancers and musicians perform. During festivals, the Caudan and Port Louis waterfronts usually organize special shows where you can also admire the rich cultural diversity, which Mauritius has inhetited.

Casinos

For the non-partygoers as well as the rich and famous, there are sevetal casinos scattered all over the island such as the Casino de Maurice in Curepipe, the Casino of Domaine Les Pailles in Pailles, and the casinos at Berjaya, Trou aux Biches, La Pitogue and St Geran Hotels. The stakes are not very high; the main games played are blackjack and roulette. Exchange control permission is normally given for the transfer of casino winnings for non-residents. In Port Louis are the following three casinos: