Claudio Veeraragoo

Born on April 1, 1946 in Rose-Hill, Mauritius, Claudio Veeraragoo (real name Packiry Veeraragoo) decided at the age of 18 to devote himself entirely to his musical career. Already adept with the demands of composition, he practiced and then chose to create an orchestra focused on the Sega style, Le Satanik Group. With his first personal album, Bhai aboo - L'amitié 81 (1981), followed by Kado l'année 81, released the same year with his band, Claudio Veeraragoo established himself as one of the new faces of Mauritian sega. Adding a touch of psychedelia, and modernizing the style's traditional tempo with African rhythms, Veeraragoo quickly made his mark among his contemporaries. With dazzling productivity, whether solo or with Le Satanik Group, the singer racked up a string of cassette albums, gradually building an iconic status in Mauritian culture. His tracks "Bhai aboo" and "Ambalaba " became anthems of the genre, and Veeraragoo was invited to perform live on numerous occasions. Influenced by rock and sensitive to new instruments, as well as by Bollywood culture through his Indian origins, he brings the sound of saturated guitars and modernizes the traditional culture of his birthplace. Little known in France, his song "Ambalaba" nevertheless reached the ears of Maxime Le Forestier, who covered it. Years later, and more than 50 years after the start of his musical career, Claudio Veeraragoo saw his track "Qui fine arrivé" (1971) re-released on the Born Bad Records compilation Moris Zekler - Fuzz & Soul Sega From 70's Mauritius (2020), and Veeraragoo's sound was revived with a new audience. With his own recording studio, Lyndon Recording, founded in 1971, several hundred compositions and concerts in Europe, Asia, Africa, Canada and Australia, Claudio Veeraragoo has established himself as one of the major musicians in Mauritian history.