City Beats: Port Louis, Mauritius
In our City Beats series, we explore underground scenes in cities worldwide, and this week, we’re spotlighting Port Louis, Mauritius.
The Heart of Mauritius’ Underground Music Scene
Mauritius is a tropical island in the Indian Ocean, best known for its white sand beaches, turquoise waters, and vibrant culture. However, beneath the idyllic tourist landscape a thriving underground music scene pulses with creativity, rebellion, and subculture, and Port Louis, the bustling capital of Mauritius, is at the heart of this artistic movement.
This scene was championed on the world stage in November 2024, when Boiler Room set up shop in Port Louis to showcase the talent the island has to offer as part of their ‘System’ series, which spotlights sound system culture worldwide.
The line-up featured a huge range of talent, from DJ GREG to rap/singer duo Caro and Wendiva to rap crew Joker Cartel, gliding from sega to shatta to dembow to dancehall. Many of these artists showcased the popular music emanating from the island today, but arguably the most viewed and talked about set of the night came from Babani Soundsystem.
Port Louis’ Musical Revolution
Since they formed in 2017, Babani Soundsystem has helped shape the cultural landscape of Port Louis, all while retaining the ancient soundscapes of the island. Their music is rooted in the rhythms of the Indian Ocean and champions the percussion and melodies indigenous to Mauritius.
By fostering strong connections with some of the oldest musicians and artists still active on the island, Babani Soundsystem’s mission is to maintain the rhythm and authenticity of traditional sounds while blending them with contemporary influences.
However, the Babani concept expands far beyond Babani Soundsystem. Babani was founded by Avneesh Bacha in 2017, a Mauritian event producer and artist with more than two decades of experience in the music and entertainment industry. Babani encompasses a range of various projects, including Babani Records, Babani Soundsystem, event production, art and visual design, and a recording studio.
As a result, Babani quickly grew into an island-wide collective dedicated to preserving the island's musical heritage.
Babani Records not only focuses on new releases but also works to revive forgotten tapes from the island's past, acting as a bridge from the Indian Ocean to the world, all while exploring and preserving the distinctive rhythms of the region.
Preserving Mauritius’ Musical Heritage
“Babani was an idea that grew bigger than me,” Avneesh says. “We teamed up with a guy on Reunion Island who has the biggest record collection on the Indian Ocean. So we started approaching these artists to re-issue their music.”
Many of the artists they approached haven’t heard their own music since they recorded it, and didn’t have copies themselves. So Babani Records revives, reclaims and archives forgotten music of the island so it can never be lost.
“The Babani project is our passion project and showcase,” Avneesh says. “We include art, visuals, and sound under that umbrella.”
The word Babani refers to a traditional Mauritian drum, and the collective’s primary goals are to channel the authentic and raw sound of the streets of Port Louis, connect with the youth, and showcase the power of the sound system culture. That’s exactly what they did with their Boiler Room set, playing a percussion-infused set mixed with electronic elements such as synths, stabs, kicks, and basslines.
Another notable Boiler Room performance belonged to GREG. He’s arguably Port Louis’ biggest musical export, currently residing in France, and his set was so high energy it cut halfway through – because the stage broke. He’s a resident of La Creole in Paris and regularly releases on Boukan Records, which showcases high energy club music with an eclectic twist.
GREG is just one of a growing number of internationally recognized artists from Mauritius. The energy and musical history of the island gives DJs and producers a unique edge that sets them apart, all of which was showcased in their unforgettable Boiler Room.
The Growing Influence of Mauritius on the Global Music Stage
The underground music scene in Port Louis is rich with diversity and creativity, and Babani is one of its most influential forces. Through their commitment to promoting authentic, boundary-pushing music, the collective has become a beacon for the youth and music lovers in Mauritius.
With their ability to blend reggae, dub, and electronic influences, Babani Soundsystem exemplifies the power of cultural fusion in shaping a unique and dynamic sound, deeply rooted in tradition while remaining modern. And thanks to the Babani project, the underground music scene in Port Louis has become an exciting space for innovation and artistic expression on the global stage.
