Bam Cuttayen

Mauritian singer and musician Bam Cuttayen (real name Sandragassen Cuttayen) was born on June 21, 1952 in Quatre Bornes, in the west of the main island. A keen observer of Mauritians' difficult daily lives, he went on to become one of the leading figures of Santé engagé, a musical genre that blends traditional Mauritian sega with Indian and Western influences, and is characterized by protest against political and social oppression. This militant poet, a dressmaker by profession, was involved from an early age in the struggle for Mauritian identity, justice and social equality. In 1973, together with Micheline Virahsawmy, Rosemay Nelson, Nitish and Ram Joganah and Lélou Ménwar, he founded the group Soley Ruz, which became popular with Mauritian youth thanks to its committed songs. When the latter split up, he turned his attention to writing, publishing Nuvo Lizur (1976), followed by Sante Poem, a collection of poems that was the subject of Flère Raket, his first recording in 1980. This was quickly followed by Pei Larm Kuler the following year, then Zenfan Plus Tard (1986) and Brin Soley (1993). His song "Amandla", dedicated to Nelson Mandela, was a huge hit throughout the Indian Ocean. Victim of a heart attack, he died on July 24, 2002, aged just 51, and the album Parol Envolé was released posthumously in 2003.