“Claudio Cassimally passed away this Wednesday, December 01”, announced his family. It has been a while since we heard Claudio due to health problems.
Claudio Cassimally was one of the first Mauritians to play the panpipes. “It was purely by chance that I acquired this beautiful instrument and I was won over the first time I played it,” he confided to the Express in 2018. Claudio was an excellent musician, singer, composer and musical arranger. He was a member of the Police Band in the late 60s alongside Philippe Ohsan.
He had a long career with Gerard Cimiotti and other musicians. Indeed, Mauritius has lost one of its legendary musicians and artists with the death of Claudio Cassimally.
Several musicians of the new generation were trained by him. For Claudio carried in him this generosity, which was so well heard in his music.
“He was an outstanding musician and a wonderful father to us. Thanks to him, we never lacked for anything. He worked hard and often late at night to provide for us,” said Clyde Cassimally, one of his three children.
In memory of Claudio, we have made a short film from the MBC and Sedley Assonne programs.
