2014 Souvenir Pullout
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Elevating
the profile of
Mauritius in the UK
T
he 2014 edition of the Mauritian Open Air Festival has underlined the event’s status as the biggest gathering of the Mauritian diaspora in the world, outside the country itself. The sixth edition attracted around 15,000 people to Down Park Lane in North London on a sunny afternoon in early August, more than double the number when the event was first staged just six years ago. And to put this remarkable growth into perspective, this crowd number puts the event among the premier tier day festivals to be staged in London, alongside rock and dance music equivalents. One of the event organisers, Eshan Badal said this year had been the biggest and best edition yet: “This event has gone from one extreme to the other; this year we’ve almost outgrown Down Lane Park and we’re contemplating whether we have to move because demand has become so massive. “The attraction of the festival has always been Mauritius, but now we find that it’s not just Mauritians turning up, but a lot of people that have heard about Mauritius and want to find out more about Mauritius. So they come along to experience the food, the music, the dance...”
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Eshan explained that, through ticket purchase monitoring, the Festival were able to monitor the geographical distribution of festival-goers and they were pleasantly surprised to find people coming from across the UK and Europe.
And to underline the event’s pervasion into the public consciousness, this year’s festival was visited by BBC Africa, while celebrities including David Lammy and Rav Wilding were connecting with hundreds of thousands on social media to publicise the event; it truly has gone global in its scope. This year showcased one of the best festival lineups in its history. Contemporary megastars Alain Ramanisium and Laura Beg headlined the festival with their closing set, and as Eshan put it, although they finished at 8pm, “everyone in the crowd would have happily carried on until midday the next day if they could!” These stars of today were joined by living legend Jean Claude Gaspard, who chose the Festival to bow out of music after a stunning 50-year career, a true testament to the event’s status. The European diaspora were represented by French hip hop collective, The Mauritian All Stars, and upcoming talent from Belgium “Supa Sane” who electrified the crowds.
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This year we’ve almost outgrown Down Lane Park and we’re contemplating whether we have to move because demand has become so massive. And these stars were joined on stage by winners from a talent competition that had been staged at top London-based Mauritian night, Back2Reality earlier in the year. There were also a variety of Mauritian Bands and Sega dancers, as well as a plethora of stalls serving traditional cuisine, that make up such an integral part of Mauritian culture. Eshan thanked the sponsors of the event for making it possible again but he added that, in order to take the event to the next level, they need additional help. The rise of the Festival in prominence has been so rapid that it has effectively outgrown itself, hence Eshan’s request for support. “We need as much as help as we can going forward next year. We are looking to businesses and the government to help us take this next to the level.”
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Eshan evidenced the need for support by highlighting some issues that had arisen with the fast-track ticketing. Such was demand, that many were left queuing for longer than had been planned. And that is why more support for infrastructural investment is necessary. But the 2014 edition of the Festival was an unprecedented success and the show’s potential to act as a flagbearer for the global Mauritian community is now indisputable. As Eshan said, “we’re now looking to plan an even bigger
and better Festival and we’re constantly trying to innovate and improve. We’re going to have more artists next year, including new and upcoming talent, but we need the help. Whether it’s the government of Mauritius, or anyone else looking to be a part of this, please come together. The main thing is to elevate the profile of Mauritius.”
www.mauritianopenair.com
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