MAMA JAZ 2025: 10 Years of Mauritian Musical Passion

The MAMA JAZ festival will celebrate its tenth edition in April 2025, marking a decade of musical excellence and cultural innovation in Mauritius. This event, proudly labeled Made in Moris since 2023, has established itself as one of the essential highlights of the island's cultural calendar.

Since its inception in 2016, MAMA JAZ has experienced exceptional growth. What began as a modest week-long event featuring 42 artists across five venues has transformed into a major festival spanning an entire month, involving nearly 200 professionals. The festival's audience has also seen remarkable expansion, growing from 5,000 attendees at its first edition to over 600,000 today, reaching audiences in more than 70 countries.

This 10th anniversary edition will take place throughout April 2025 and will offer a rich and diverse program: 22 events spread across three sites, including 25 original live performances, 8 collective interaction platforms, and 4 reflection forums. Festival-goers can look forward to popular segments such as Minit Mazik and MA MA PIK NIK, as well as a new component titled Enn Mond Meyer, which will be held at Café du Vieux Conseil in Port Louis. Most of these events will be free for the public.

The festival's highlight will coincide with International Jazz Day on April 30, 2025. For this special occasion, MAMA JAZ will host Steve Coleman and Five Elements, a legendary band performing at the Caudan Arts Centre. Hailing from Chicago, Steve Coleman is recognized as one of the most influential saxophonists, improvisers, and composers of his generation. Founder of the M-Base movement, he is famous for his innovative fusion of jazz, funk, hip-hop, and African music.

This anniversary edition particularly highlights Mauritian creative talent, featuring a majority of local artists from different generations, all united by their ability to compose and improvise.

Gavin Poonoosamy, the organizer of MAMA JAZ, states: "MAMA JAZ embodies the vision of a vibrant and dynamic Mauritian culture, with a strong professional arts sector. In ten editions, we have demonstrated that an event rooted in our identity can not only enrich our artistic heritage or its contemporaneity but also generate tangible economic impact. This festival is not just a musical celebration – it is a showcase of Mauritian creative genius and a model of sustainable development. We are helping make Mauritius a vital hub for artistic creation in the Indian Ocean and worldwide, proud of our authenticity and the specificity of our thought."

Shirin Gunny, Chief Executive Officer of Made in Moris, adds: "The labeling of MAMA JAZ perfectly represents the symbiosis between cultural excellence and economic development that we strive to promote. This festival brilliantly demonstrates how creative industries can become strategic levers for our economy while reinforcing our national identity. It illustrates our deep conviction that Mauritian creativity, when valued and structured, can captivate audiences well beyond our borders. MAMA JAZ is an exemplary ambassador for the Mauritius brand on the international stage."

MAMA JAZ 2025 promises to be a memorable celebration that showcases the power of music to unite, inspire, and elevate Mauritian culture across the globe.