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Christian Calou Artist & Singer, Mauritius

Expatries CD Music Album by Christian Calou

Christian is launching his third Music CD Album on 31 October 2009

His third album "Expatries" reflects his real life's experience in Australia, his country of adoption. He describes the challenges, the ups and downs of life in the land downunder and over and above all, the realisation that Mauritians will be Mauritians wherever they may be. The multi faceted cultural challenges are very much alive and well within the expatriate Mauritian Communities worldwide. Hence, the inspiration that led him to dedicate 18 months of total dedication to this third album "Expatries".

Christian has already released two CD music albums in 2002 and 2005, Mixage and Jalsa Creole. His songs "Kot la Vérité" and "Misere Perna Valere" were top hits in Mauritius.

"Christian Calou is a singer, song writer, poet and social activist. He is a man with a mission, who looks into the fabric of life and the fabric of his culture. He is inseparable from his culture. He is a very powerful song writer and his mission is to put Mauritian social issues into the social conscience. He wants to keep the Mauritian identity and its soul alive, even in a new environment like Australia. He is a man dedicated also to his art. He is an activist who is prepared to say exactly what he thinks. His songs have a strong message about the importance of Mauritians maintaining their own culture, even while living in Australia. He wants Mauritian-Australians to be proud of their heritage. His music reflects that philosophy. Christian has developed his own unique sound, his own style of music."
David Pratt* on Christian Calou.

Expatriés Music CD Album Contents:

Order the CD Purchase tickets for the Combined Expatriés Launch and Festival Creole 2009 Dance

1 “Expatriés” is a song about Mauritians leaving their shores for the unknown, with all the suffering and heart breaking feeling it encompasses while not knowing what to expect abroad. The sad feeling however, is overcome by success stories of the diaspora, when Mauritians realise their pride in being Mauritians overseas and enjoying prosperity. The new style of music of the song has a unique rhythmic sound with a blend of musical instruments.

2 “L’amour infini”. An endless love. It demonstrates the love of a couple for each other, the struggle parents go through together to give a bright future to their children and a promise to keep their love alive in their old age, even after the children have married and left home. After arriving in a new country, one realises how quickly life goes on, but the original love remains alive. It is a love story with a slow beat.

3. “Toi Pardonne moi” A self confession of the singer for his state of absent-mindedness, for everything that surrounds him, his family, his friends. The singer is consumed by his music, by the passion of what he does in his creative process, which explains his state of mind. His craft takes him to another level of consciousness. It is a psychological poetic song which describes the self portrait of the singer at that particular time It has a relaxed rhythm.

4. Bal Mélangés”.Description of a family gathering with a Mauritian ambiance, where the identity and heritage of Mauritians are showcased. Mauritius is a product of our ancestry and because of that ancestry; Mauritians overseas are easily adaptable to living in a multiracial country like Australia. Our homeland experience equips us to fit into our new milieu and be part of it. The tune can be described as fusion music, a tribute to instruments of different ethnic groups. In short, a fusion of cultures, a fusion of instruments.

5. “Nou Prié toi”. A reference to the Creator, to our love for Him. It is a plea to the Creator to stop evil on earth, bombings, killings, suicides, hate and greed for money. It is a friendly chat to the creative power, imploring it to answer our prayers. The song has a reverent tune with a cheerful aspect of not giving up our struggle for peace in the face of adversity.

6. “La Fumée”. Saturday night fever! A disco atmosphere where the singer misses his usual partner. She let him down. He is lucky however to find others in the party. It is a fun song about having a bad night at the disco but making good out of it! The song has Reggae like tune.

7. “Festival Kreol”.. Keeping our cultural heritage alive in our new country. It is a celebration of our language and of the Mauritian ambiance. It is an invitation to other groups to experience our heritage and our traditions In short it is also an invitation to celebrate with Mauritians. At the same time it is a reminder to Mauritians to be proud of their culture in a new country and not to be ashamed of it. It has a typical rhythmic séga tune.

8. “L’âge Retraité” A remix from the first Album, “Mixage”.It fits into the circumstances of a hard worker, waiting for retirement. Now that retirement age has been pushed to 67, by the time one tries to reach it, one might be already dead! It is as if one is chasing a mirage, trying to reach the end of the rainbow for the pot of gold! Therefore, it is a struggle to reap the benefits of retirement, after the frustration of being a slave to one’s work. It has a dancing upbeat rhythm, which calls on everyone to remain cheerful and hopeful.

*David Pratt is a musician of long standing. He has been playing the guitar for the past 35 years. He is a music lover.His instrumental contribution to Christian Calou’s Album is the guitar. He has also been a sounding board to Christian during the creative process. He has provided Christian with constructive criticism, moral support and perspective, in order to make him achieve his goal. He is very impressed with the Album. He says, “Christian has developed his own unique sound, his own style of music.”