On February 21, the country will commemorate the anniversary of Kaya’s death. 23 years later, what remains of the seggaeman’s legacy?
Much more than music. Much more than just lyrics. For Percy Yip Tong, Kaya’s former producer, the artist left behind immortal music and poems: “Kaya has not been with us for 23 years. But his music and lyrics, which I consider to be poems, still resonate. Sime lalimier is played in Catholic churches and in centers dedicated to Sai Baba. Ras kouyon has been taken up by Iskcon. This proves that the man and his works are still alive.
But then why aren’t there more seggae ambassadors in Mauritius? To this question Percy answers: “Seggae had its glory days during and shortly after Kaya’s death. Today some groups continue to defend this music. But to really carry this music, you need a charisma and a talent that until now nobody has been able to embody.
If there is another legacy that Kaya has left, it is that of the decriminalization of cannabis: “We forget too often that he left his life to defend this cause. He had good reasons to support this fight at the time. Maybe if we had listened to him, the synthetic drug would not have made as much devastation as today.”
