Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Gaël Rangain
Published on 2024-04-09 14:00:39
The Ministry of Arts and Cultural Heritage has awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award to four prominent figures in the local artistic world. These individuals are Henri Favory (theater), Ismet Ghanty (painting), Jean-Claude Gaspard (music), and Pahlad Ramsurrun (literature). Each of them received a check for Rs 250,000 and a trophy from the responsible minister, Avinash Teeluck.
As concert organizers gathered at the Café du Vieux Conseil to denounce the halt to their activities due to new permit regulations, the Ministry of Arts and Cultural Heritage countered a few meters away with a ceremony to honor artists. If this was a PR move to appease the discontent, Avinash Teeluck succeeded, as it is very rare for the State to acknowledge the contributions of artists in society.
Thus, Henri Favory, Ismet Ghanty, Jean-Claude Gaspard, and Pahlad Ramsurrun were awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. This recognition from the State is for their artistic contributions that have enriched Mauritian culture for decades. Henri Favory, the man to whom Creole and engaged theater owe their nobility, received a distinction from the Ministry of Arts and Cultural Heritage at the age of 83.
An author, playwright, and director, he had already been honored by the Creole Speaking Union in March of last year during the inauguration of the Film, Theatre, and Performing Arts Lab at the University of Mauritius. His plays, such as Tras, depicting workers’ struggles, or Nu Traverse, on domestic violence, have been highly successful.
Ismet Ghanty comes from a family of artists. He shared a passion for the arts with his brother, the late Firoz. A contemporary artist, he is also a writer and musician. He has participated in numerous exhibitions in Mauritius and abroad. He also published his first collection of poems in 2021 at the age of 73.
Jean-Claude Gaspard needs no introduction. A renowned sega artist, he has had a long career in the music industry. His songs, such as Dobi de klas or Problem kari, have made generations dance both in Mauritius and among the Mauritian diaspora around the world. On the occasion of the national holiday on March 12, Jean-Claude Gaspard was awarded the title of Member of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (MSK).
As for Pahlad Ramsurrun, he is a very prolific author, particularly in Hindi. He has around fifty books to his name. He has also been an educator and freelance journalist. He is the founder of the magazine Indradhanush.
Several of his literary works have been awarded, and he was honored by the World Hindi Convention in 1993. In 2016, the Commonwealth Education Trust selected two poems by Pahlad Ramsurrun for a collection on the theme of Water, Earth, Air, and Fire. A year earlier, on his 78th birthday, the Indian magazine Anusandham Yatra dedicated a special edition to him.
Minister Teeluck elaborated on the importance of art in society. He paid a heartfelt tribute to these artists who have contributed to shaping the Mauritian cultural landscape.
Read the original article(French) on Le Mauricien
