Yurts

Traditional Mauritian Sega Tipik is a vibrant performing art representing the Creole community. It is performed by families at informal gatherings or in public spaces.

Sega was popular on Mauritian Creole islands in the 1700s. It is normally sung in Mauritian Creole or Réunionese Creole by descendants of slaves. Sega is also popular in Agaléga and Rodrigues as well as Seychelles, but the music and dances differ, as well as the respective creole languages on these islands.

It is primarily danced music but is also used for dirges and as part of traditional exorcisms. It is often emotional and improvised and expresses the tribulations of enslaved people. There are a variety of dance forms associated with Sega music, which originated among Mauritius' slave populations, appeared on Réunion, and eventually spread throughout Seychelles.

Despite the lack of definitive information about its origins outside the islands, Sega is believed to have Afro-Malagasy roots and to be a fusion of African or Malagasy music with European music. European influences can be heard in polka, waltz, and quadrilles.

Gatan Benoit suggested that sega originated from Madagascar, and Boswell notes that famedihana, a Merina death ritual, may be connected to sega. Arago, on the other hand, identifies it with (t)chéga, an African rhythm from Mozambique. He says that it has origins in African music, specifically from Mozambique and Angola. Sega guitarist Jacques Cantin termed it "African."

Traditionally, Sega songs often speak of love or address everyday challenges and concerns. The meaning is often enacted through the dance, in which women wear long skirts and petticoats, and men wear rolled-up trousers, colorful shirts, and straw hats, a tradition passing on the clothing of their ancestors.

The main practitioners are the singers, dancers, and musicians, who pass on their skills either through formal participation or through imitation. Sega breaks down cultural and class barriers and creates opportunities for intercultural encounters. It also represents the multiculturalism of Mauritian society and unites various groups around a shared Mauritian heritage. Some practitioners also make the instruments and impart their skills through informal apprenticeship.

As modern forms of sega evolve, they are combined with genres such as jazz, zouk, and their fusion genre with reggae known as Seggae. A few elements of African music have been added to the genre since the 1980s and now it is popular across the islands of Mauritius, Réunion, Seychelles, Comoros, and Rodrigues, as well as Madagascar.

The yurt is a nomadic dwelling that is popular among Kazakhs and Kyrgyz.

In Central Asia, yurts have been a characteristic feature of life for at least three thousand years.

Various nomadic groups inhabit the steppes of Central Asia with round, portable tents known as yurts (from the Turkic language) or gers (from the Mongolian language). Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian who lived in the northern Black Sea and Central Asian region from 600BC to AD300, described the first time he saw a yurt as a dwelling place used by the Scythians. They were nomads who rode horses.

In traditional yurts, patterns are used to decorate the interiors. These patterns are generally not indicative of taste but instead are based on sacred ornaments with symbolic meanings. For example, symbols representing strength include the khas (swastika), the four powerful beasts (lion, tiger, garuda, and dragon), and five elements (fire, water, earth, metal, and wood), which are considered the basic elements in the cosmos. Many people believe that such patterns bring strength and protection to the home.

Yurt is made with a wooden frame covered with felt and woven with ropes, easy to set up and takedown, and can be easily disassembled. Women and men who make yurts and their interior decorations are the bearers of yurt-making knowledge.

Traditional yurts are made with natural and renewable raw materials. The wooden frames, leather, bone, and metal elements are all made by hand by men and their apprentices. Most Yurts are made by women who embellish them with traditional zoomorphic, vegetative, and geometric patterns. They are usually made in groups led by experienced women artisans, and they employ weaving, spinning, braiding, felting, embroidering, sewing, and other traditional methods.

Yurts are created by the whole community of craftspeople and foster a sense of community, constructive cooperation, and creativity. In the traditional Kazakh and Kyrgyz culture, knowledge and skills are passed from family members to apprentices. All ceremonies, such as birth, marriage, and funeral rituals, take place in a yurt, a symbol of traditional hospitality and family identity, which is fundamental to both cultures.

Today, many Central Asian groups see a yurt as a national symbol. Therefore, yurts are often used as cafés (especially those that serve traditional food), museums (especially those dedicated to local culture), and souvenir shops. And as part of the celebration of Mary's year as Cultural Capital of the Turkic World, the government of Turkmenistan constructed a concrete, granite, aluminum, and glass yurt-shaped structure, which was marketed as the world's largest yurt.

References

(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/traditional-knowledge-and-skills-in-making-kyrgyz-and-kazakh-yurts-turkic-nomadic-dwellings-00998) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yurt) |Subject=Art, Craftsmanship and Practices |Country=Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan |SDG=(05) Gender Equality, (08) Decent Work and Economic Growth, (09) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, (11) Sustainable Cities and Communities, (12) Responsible Consumption and Production, (16) Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions }}