Success of Alain Ramanisum in the Seychelles

[ZahoOL]

Success of Alain Ramanisum in the Seychelles,article by the People.
The man who got back his soul from sega

He is a household name in the sega world. Allain Ramanisum who recently performed alongside local artistes in two musical shows is someone who has contributed much to making sega earn its rightful place.
Yet, if his music has propelled him onto the regional and international scene, Allain Ramanisum, feels that his battle is yet to be won.


Certificates I never had


‘’ My schooling has been a complete failure. My mother never had a chance to congratulate me. The sega has replaced the computer, the calculator and the certificates, which I’ve never had’’.

These are the words of an ordinary man, raised in the difficult Mauritian neighborhood of Cassis. Allain Ramanisum, although convinced that his childhood was conditioned by its poor environment, has never been a pessimist. He went to school, like every child of his community, but he was not good enough to make it through.

The ‘’ sega’’ music was then an ancestral rhythm and considered as primitive. And he and his family were considered to be secondary citizens.

At the age of 14, he decided to change all that. Growing up as he proudly said ‘’ a child of Cassis’’, was not easy. He did have his own wooden toys, but that was not his passion. He was more interested with the rhythm played by his brother on his guitar. From this experience he has gained what he described as an ‘’ear for the music’’. He talks about the ‘’ sega’’ as if it was his mission in life. A tradition which he wants to preserve and give it back the value it deserves. Yet it is not surprising that he behaves in this manner.


Solely source of inspiration


‘My family are descendants of the African and Indian communities. The sega music is an inspiration of my ancestral traditions.’’ If sega remains his solely source of inspiration, it is because Allain wanted to prove to the world, that this music has its own specificities and its importance.

‘’ You cannot go about improvising and simply modernizing the sega. The fundamental rules should remain, because the sega is not like any other music, like mixing the reggae with the soul music, and getting the R&B. It can evolve, with a mixture of both modern and tradition. For example: I use an instrument called the ‘’ ravann’ or the bronze trumpet. It then gives a different rhythm, audible to the ears, which you can never hear, in the traditional sega.” Prior to his debut into the professional musical field, Allain was an amateur pianist.


Provided his source of income


Jazz was then his inspiration. Although he did not have great notions about this music, it was then respected and provided him his source of income. ‘’ Jazz was my only source of income. At that time in Mauritius to succeed financially in the musical field, one had to perform the Jazz music. It was considered indecent to play sega. I needed to work, to help my family and Jazz was then my only option.

When I finally decided to dedicate myself to the sega it was then a triumph. It was a pride’’.

When Allain and friends formed the Cassiya group, it was a chance of a life time to gain recognition for the sega music. The band was then perpetuating what he called the ‘’ notion of the sega ‘’. He was not simply the pianist of the Cassiya band but that of a key figure. Most of the lyrics of the band were written by him. Seven songs which became hits were his own compositions.

But too humble to admit to this and take all the credits for what the band had earned over the years, Allain Ramanisum, prefers not to talk about his contribution to the success of Cassiya as he sees it as a collective triumph.

At the Coral Strand hotel, where the artist was residing during his stay in the country, he would talk about the Cassiya band, with simplicity and gratitude. He would then shift to his mother tongue Mauritian and revert to French, with a typical Creole accent. Although he proclaims that he is not a literate, he speaks with the convictions of a philosopher and the intelligence of a sociologist. After all, he has a musical intelligence which few people can boast.

When he left the Cassiya band, he was not only planning to go solo, but to give another twist to the sega music. He came up with what he describes as a sentimental, cool and dance hall sega. With these three combinations, Allain transformed the Sega music, and that of its identity.

When he was in the Cassiya group, Allain Ramanisum, was not a popular artist. When the songs of the band were aired, its fans would not identify these with him as all the credit will definitely go to the band. When he did separate from the band, in 2006, his attention was geared towards gaining personal recognition.

He then had to choose his own label, his own style and that of his own public. He started off with some soft lyrics, but success quickly followed for his two songs, ‘ Elle’ and ‘Li tourné’.

Most of his lyrics, he said, is an inspiration of what he considers ‘ as the truth’ and ‘ the events ‘ that happen in every day life’. He remembers one of his visits, in an African village when he was 23 years. He met the head of the tribes and his observations and experiences have been translated in a sega song he wrote for his solo tour. His lyrics he explains “reflect his daily life, his feeling ‘’.


Positive and negative

feedbacks

If he has known great success with his songs, he has nevertheless managed to keep his feet on the ground. The experience gained has only strengthen his resolve to ‘ watch his back’ as he knows that ‘’appearances can be deceiving’’.

‘’ The feedbacks I have received from my fans and that of the other professionals are either positive or negative. Negative remarks have allowed me to improve on my lyrics, my stage performances and that of my compositions. I‘ve gratefully welcomed the positive remarks , although they can be sometimes exaggerated. It’s heart-breaking to see that people you trust a lot, whom for years, you have looked up to as friends can deceive you.

In the community of musicians there are many surprises. Hypocrisy rules. They can make your success as well as your downfall.

The more you progress, in the field; the more you become an easy target, for some malicious artists. You gain more rivals and it’s not easy to bridge the gap with them. I‘ve never considered those negative vibes, as an obstacle to my career; But I am not naive either. It’s important to think positively, especially if you have a lot of fans to satisfy.

You need to provide both quality and quantity’’. Although he had never openly acknowledged if he shared some of the defects of a jealous artist, he simply said that all young artists, like him should persevere and overcome the difficulties. The only key to success, he said, is through hard work. The sega has made him cross great oceans and travel to unknown lands.

He told the tale of the success of one of his songs ‘’ Li tourné’’. It was summer and he was spending his holiday at the Club Med in Tunisia. There he played for the first time, this song and there were recommendations, that he should consider releasing it.

From then on, this song has become Allain’s first solo hit and he has achieved one of his objectives of giving something to his family: making them proud of him. And he has given something out of the ordinary, that of an international and regional recognition for the surname ‘’Ramanisum’’. Voicing out his surname, is to him gratitude and he only can feel that difference it made, when he was then a poor boy and that he had created a milestone in the musical industry. His struggle have born its fruit and yet he said that ‘’ this battle goes on’’.

His music he said ‘’ is to unite all communities around the world’’. A continuous battle, which he feels will be hard for a young artist to attain. But he keeps his hope high, that it will ultimately come to fruition although he has a long way to go. When asked if he is a fulfilled artiste, Allain would once again, put aside his pride and said that ‘’ a man could never say that he is satisfied’’. Life he remarked ‘’is full of desires and astonishments’.



Gaining recognition


His eyes sparkle and he smiles ‘’I ‘ve already completed this part of my dream: that of gaining recognition. I have already done my best, giving the maximum to my fans and my family and this despite the problems that I have encountered in my life’’.

In 1998, Allain left Mauritius for Reunion. He has since then produced his first solo album ‘ Sega, Sega’ , which was then a great success in Reunion. From Reunion, he had undertaken many European tours. Young and ambitious, Allain Ramanisum has not let success get to his head. He sees the future as an optimist. Although he has not yet decided when he would take a break from the musical scene, he has already translated his gift to his daughter Melodie.

He talks about her, as if she was his only hope, of perpetuating this tradition. ‘’ My daughter has started taking singing lessons and I am sure that although, she does not turn out to become a sega singer, she would not let the ‘ Ramanisum name, fade away’’

Posted by jean marc anthony

[monica__95]

He is a household name in the sega world. Allain Ramanisum who recently performed alongside local artistes in two musical shows is someone who has contributed much to making sega earn its rightful place.
Yet, if his music has propelled him onto the regional and international scene, Allain Ramanisum, feels that his battle is yet to be won.

Hier dans "Friday Fiva" le topic c t donne nom enn artiste de l'année....Alain Ramanisum fer parti bann artiste ki ena bcp fans parmi bann RM et li ena bcp succes partout kot li passé à travers le monde France,Suisse,Melbourne et ailleurs... Félicitations Alain à kan le prochain concert à Paris capave vinn écoute bann zoli ti Mélodie.

[Sophia]

Posté par monica__95

Hier dans "Friday Fiva" le topic c t donne nom enn artiste de l'année....Alain Ramanisum fer parti bann artiste ki ena bcp fans parmi bann RM et li ena bcp succes partout kot li passé à travers le monde France,Suisse,Melbourne et ailleurs... Félicitations Alain à kan le prochain concert à Paris capave vinn écoute bann zoli ti Mélodie.

Felicitations a Alain Ramanisum. So bane morceaux mari serye!