2014 Souvenir Pullout

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The 2014 editi on of the Mauriti an Open Air Festi val has underlined the event’s

status as the biggest gathering of the Mauriti an diaspora in the world, outside the country itself. The sixth editi on att racted around 15,000 people to Down Park Lane in North London on a sunny aft ernoon in early August, more than double the number when the event was fi rst staged just six years ago. And to put this remarkable growth into perspecti ve, this crowd number puts the event among the premier ti er day festi vals 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 editi on yet: “This event has gone from one extreme to the other; this year we’ve almost outgrown Down Lane Park and we’re contemplati ng whether we have to move because demand has become so massive.

“The att racti on of the festi val has always been Mauriti us, but now we fi nd that it’s not just Mauriti ans turning up, but a lot of people that have heard about Mauriti us and want to fi nd out more about Mauriti us. So they come along to experience the food, the music, the dance...”

Eshan explained that, through ti cket purchase monitoring, the Festi val were able to monitor the geographical distributi on of festi val-goers and they were pleasantly surprised to fi nd people coming from across the UK and Europe.

And to underline the event’s pervasion into the public consciousness, this year’s festi val was visited by BBC

Africa, while celebriti es including David Lammy and Rav Wilding were connecti ng 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 festi val lineups in its history. Contemporary megastars Alain Ramanisium and Laura Beg headlined the festi val with their closing set, and as Eshan put it, although they fi nished at 8pm, “everyone in the crowd would have happily carried on unti l midday the next day if they could!”

These stars of today were joined by living legend Jean Claude Gaspard, who chose the Festi val to bow out of music aft er a stunning

50-year career, a true testament to the event’s status.

The European diaspora were represented by French hip hop collecti ve, The Mauriti an All Stars, and upcoming talent from Belgium “Supa Sane” who electrifi ed the crowds.

August, more than double the number when the event was fi rst staged just six Africa, while celebriti es

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And these stars were joined on stage by winners from a talent competi ti on that had been staged at top London-based Mauriti an night, Back2Reality earlier in the year. There were also a variety of Mauriti an Bands and Sega dancers, as well as a plethora of stalls serving traditi onal cuisine, that make up such an integral part of Mauriti an 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 additi onal help. The rise of the Festi val in prominence has been so rapid that it has eff ecti vely 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.”

Eshan evidenced the need for support by highlighti ng some issues that had arisen with the fast-track ti cketi ng. 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 editi on of the Festi val was an unprecedented success and the show’s potenti al to act as a fl agbearer for the global Mauriti an community is now indisputable. As Eshan said, “we’re now looking to plan an even bigger

and bett er Festi val and we’re constantly trying to innovate and improve. We’re going to have more arti sts next year, including new and upcoming talent, but we need the help. Whether it’s the government of Mauriti us, or anyone else looking to be a part of this, please come together. The main thing is to elevate the profi le of Mauriti us.”

www.mauritianopenair.com

This year we’ve almost outgrown Down Lane Park and we’re contemplating whether we have to move because demand has become so massive.

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