Rupi Mangat
21 March 2011
Nairobi — Victoria, the capital of Seychelles on the island of Mahe, is reputed to be the smallest capital city in the world.
It so so small that some Seychellois jokingly say “blink and you’ll miss it.”
But for three days in March before Lent, the world’s tiniest capital city brought out the pomp and grandeur for a carnival that even US songstress and actress Dionne Warwick, a living legend turned out to applaud the local Sega dancers.
“This is history in the making. Small as we may be, there is no shortage of enthusiasm,” said Alain St. Ange, chief executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board, the organisers of the first carnival on this side of the Indian Ocean.
Touted the ‘carnival of carnivals,’ the tourism sector pulled all stops to endear the country to world travellers.
This event is one in a radical shift to offer more to holiday makers as tourism worldwide takes a beating.
“We want to make the carnaval an annual affair,” continues St.Ange his voice full of enthusiasm after the success of the two days. “We want the world to come to the Seychelles as a community of nations where we can go beyond politics in safe and friendly surroundings.”
Let the Carnaval begin
On the day of the festival, men, women and children in exotic masks and costumes lined the streets to watch the floats pass by. The president, James Alix Michel and his wife joined dignitaries from the rest of Africa and around the world in the celebrations.
A few Samba dancers from Brazil were also in attendance to give the event an international flair. It was the hip-swaying Sega dancing to the carnaval theme song “Carnaval de Carnaval” by local artist Patrick Victor that excited everyone in attendance.
The young belles in wide skirts accompanied by men in loose shirts and pants danced only like islanders do – relaxed, jovila and with no care in the world. With a mix of Hindu, Malay, Chinese and African heritage, the floats represented all the communities.
Deities from the Indian mythology followed skimpily dressed exotic Brazilian queens. Traditional dancers from the Seychellese island of La Digue perform the stick dance followed by the stunning Indonesian dancers.
The float of the multi tiered Hindu temple made by the Indian community of the Seychelles comes complete with a statue of the revered cow while from the Digue the locals bring the bull pulling the wagon.
Fighting Piracy
Seychelles is today more than just a holiday destination.
With the increase in piracy in the Indian Ocen, the Seychollois navy warships now patrol the ocean — with the Indian, English and the Russians navies too calling into the port for the carnival. The American warship though nearby coul not make it.
“We want to make the maritime routes of the Indian Ocean safe again, free from the pirates,” said St. Ange. “It can be done with the might of the world against the pirates.”
“If we can turn the tide around and make the area safe from pirates again, we can reinstate the cruise ship business. The Indian Ocean waters are ideal for leading cruise ships between the islands, East Africa and South Africa.”
Cruise ship tourism was just picking in the Indian Ocean route when piracy escalated hitting the sector hard.
The ports on the eastern board of Africa thus depend on the navies of the world, based in Mahe to regain the lost business.
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Nation Joins Pre-Lent Festivities With Own Carnival