VA 8211 Soul Sok Sega 2xLP

Following successful excursions into rare tropical and island sounds with the Sofrito series, Haiti Direct and Calypsoul 70 albums, Strut Records turns its focus to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius for a new compilation, Soul Sok Sga.Sga first developed as an insular music and dance form after slaves arrived on Mauritius (then le de France) from East Africa and Madagascar during the 17th to 19th centuries, using Crole language and rhythms played on the large ravanne circular drum, the triangle and the maravanne, a box filled with dried seeds. Sga was essentially frowned upon and marginalised by the Mauritian bourgeois until the 1950s when singer Ti Frre began to play a more Westernised fusion of sga. Through Ti Frre and his contemporaries like Serge Lebrasse, the music began to be popularised during the 60s and became fully accepted after the Night Of The Morne event in 1964 as the Crole community asserted ist cultural identity. Soul Sok Sga documents the heyday of sga in Mauritius during the 1970s as a new generation of contemporary artists broke through. Jazz, soul, funk and rock elements all began to be effortlessly infused into traditional sga folk roots to create some inspired fusions. A talented new wave of artists including Jean- Claude, Claudio, Marie Jose and Roger Clency became domestic stars and began to take the music to international stages for the first time. Meanwhile, cult artists like the James Brown-influenced Ti LAfrique, Coulouce and Christophe all enjoyed a more brief but important moment in the spotlight.Since this era, sga has now been adopted as the national music of Mauritius and the original 70s music is a revelation for any fans of tropical music and world sounds. Struts album features extensive sleeve notes from long time Mauritian cultural champion, Percy Yip Tong, including new artist interviews, photos and original vinyl artwork.