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Between passion and
disillusion
Malcolm de Chazal cast a
critical eye on Mauritian
society. In Petrusmok, he
speaks of a tropical hell
and an indifferent and
conservative local mentality.
At the same time, he shows
a genuine affection for
his country – he never left
after Baton Rouge and
never ceased to sing its
praises. “On the other side
of the world, there lies an
enchanted island, covered
in greenery with mauve
mountains in the midst
of a blue sea edged with
emerald lagoons. This island
is like a great jewel gifted
to mankind.” (Les Contes de
Morne Plage, 2012, p.9).
In fact the man of letters
seems more aware of
aspects of Nature than the
niceties of society. In various
articles, he dwells on his
affection for the capital. You
might even believe that he
had dreamt of the recent
festival of contemporary
art, PORLWI, when he
wrote “Port Louis, city of
poets! Port Louis, for me a
source of wonder! Writers,
painters, musicians, come
and enjoy life in this temple
of alchemy.” (Malcolm de
Chazal - Comment devenir
un génie? 1961, p. 218).
Tourism and culture
Malcolm de Chazal took
an interest in domestic
affairs as shown by his
many contributions to local
newspapers. A topic that
struck him was his island’s
development, particularly
the tourism industry, on
which he made some
pertinent observations. In
his view, tourism and culture
are intimately linked and
tourism can only flourish
when a visitor leaves taking
something of the island’s
soul with him. He phrased it
HERITAGE RESORTS STORIES |
beautifully: “A visitor comes
to Mauritius to inhale the
country’s soul, breathe in
the fragrance of our creole
land and soak up a different
atmosphere.” (de Chazal,
1961).
Isn’t that the direction
tourism has been taking in
recent years, towards greater
authenticity and experiences
of real life? As long as sixty
years ago, de Chazal was
clearly imagining strolls
in characterful Port Louis
streets, tastings of street
food in sites known only
to Mauritians and trips in
traditional fishing boats.
Tourism and the
environment
In order to allow for
cultural tourism with reallife experiences, Malcolm
emphasised the importance
of preserving the island’s
natural wonders. He was
already concerned about
the impact of cultivating
sugarcane on the island.
“The country has to provide
livelihoods but is that a
reason to wreak havoc on
the wooded countryside
with its century-old – and
sometimes even older –
trees?” (Malcolm de Chazal Comment devenir un génie?
1963, p. 135).
One of the artist’s other
preoccupations was the
country’s Americanisation,
which he castigated and
considered a threat to
tourism. He predicted that
this Americanisation would
lead to the island losing its
special character, its allure
and its folklore. What if
he was right? And what if
the survival of the soul of
Mauritius, of all the poetic
charm in which the island
is steeped, now rests in
the hands of those in the
tourism sector?
The Malcolm
de Chazal
Trust Fund
The Malcolm de Chazal Trust Fund was set up in 2002
with the aim of preserving the collection of the artist’s
works as part of Mauritius’ cultural heritage, to make
his work better known both locally and internationally
and to encourage local creative excellence in the
fields of philosophy, literature, art and other cultural
sectors. It is based in Port Louis, in the city he loved
so much, in the Rue du Vieux-Conseil.
To keep alive the memory of Malcolm De Chazal and
his work, the Fund organises various events. For the
second time, Malcolm De Chazal in the streets of Port
Louis was a recent opportunity for Mauritians and
visitors to discover the artist’s works and find out
more about him, with various painting, writing and
reading workshops organised over a couple of days.
This year, a Malcolm de Chazal trophy will be
awarded following painting and writing competitions
inspired by his life and work. Some of the works will
be on display during an exhibition which will be held
hopefully towards the end of the year at the Centre
Muséal Malcolm de Chazal, an event that will also
celebrate the Centre’s re-opening.
SOURCES:
De Chazal, M. (2012). Les Contes de Morne Plage. Port Louis.
Editions Vizavi.
Rey, P. (2006). Malcolm de Chazal - Comment devenir un génie ?
Paris. Editions Philippe Rey.
De Chazal, M. (2004). Petrusmok (2 nd edition). Port Louis.
Éditions Léo Scheer.
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