Fusion of culture

 Recently, the walls of Venpin Street were painted with loads of paintings of famous Manga personalities such as Naruto, Dragon Ball etc. For those who don’t know Venpin Street, it is a small road found in Port Louis. A street which, before the paintings, was quite insignificant in Chinatown but which is now the first Manga Street in Mauritius.   




I rarely saw so much enthusiasm from the parts of the young generation to paint the murals. On certain days there were up to 50 youngsters aged between 16 to 25 busily and happily painting the walls. It was as if they needed to release their energy after being confined due to Covid-19.

I also wondered why Manga in Chinatown. Then I thought why not? Mauritius is a multicultural country. In our everyday life, we see different cultures next to each other, there is even a Mosque near the entrance of Chinatown. This is the beauty of Mauritius, this fusion of culture, the respect and understanding of others.



Venpin street also witnessed a live jam with artists from all ages singing and playing their guitar and ravanne on a Saturday morning. A rare sight but which I hope will become a regular thing soon. There was such a lively atmosphere and the artists keep lingering awhile, quite unwilling to stop…



A couple of hours later, another amazing scene, dancing on Manga street…



Manga street is fast becoming the platform for our youngsters and local artists to express their feeling, their passion and their art.

And this is all happening in Chinatown in Mauritius!! So magical!

4 July 2020

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