This paper examines contemporary forms of resistance, resilience and accommodation of the
Creole community in Mauritius. I look at sega protest songs in post-colonial Mauritius as forms
of resilience of the AfroKreol descendants whose ancestors were victims of slavery. Lockard
(1998 in Bensimon, 2009: 399) defines a protest song as ‘a piece of music whose lyrics speak out
against a specific social, political or economic injustice. It states or implies that change is
needed’ (p. 33). Applying Ethnographic Content Analysis (ECA) as methodology and Critical
Discourse Analysis (CDA) as analytical lens, I analyse two sega songs namely Le Morne written
by Sedley Assonne and sung by the Cassiya Group. Excerpts of the lyrics have been inscribed on
the monument for slaves at the foot of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Le Morne Mountain.
The other song is Morn’iman rezistans written and sung by Jean Jacques ( Zanzak) Arjoon. Both
songs highlight the centrality of Le Morne Brabant Mountain. I have identified three main
findings. First, the two sega protest songs reflect the subaltern voice. Second, they show that
memory has a healing power. Finally, Le Morne as symbol of resistance is a site of conscience.