Kaya was a Mauritian musician and the creator of "seggae

Seggae

Seggae is a fusion genre of sega, the traditional music of the Mascarene Islands, and reggae. Seggae is one of the most popular music genres in Mauritius.-Origin:...

", a fusion of sega

Sega music

Sega music or Séga is the major music of the Mascarene Islands: Mauritius, Réunion and Rodrigues as well as of the Seychelles. Sega is similar to the Réunionnais music genre maloya. Another form of dance similar to the sega is the Seychellois moutya. Sega music originated among the slave...

 and reggae, two of the most popular music genres in Mauritius.

Born Joseph Reginald Topize in Roche-Bois on 10 August 1960, he campaigned for rights of the Mauritian Creole people

Mauritian Creole People

Mauritian Creole people are the people of African and Malagasy origin who live in Mauritius. However, the Creole people today also includes minorities of people that have both African and Malagasy origins with Indian, Chinese, French and/or British backgrounds....

. At the height of his career in 1999, he was arrested two days after smoking marijuana at a cannabis legalisation rally. After three days in police custody, he was found dead in a prison cell on 21 February 1999, aged 38. Riots followed soon after causing one of the major social upheavals in Mauritius.

Discography

• Seggae nu la mizik, 1989
• Roots of Seggae,1990
• La paix universelle,1991
• Tansyon mové zintansyon,1992
• Seggae Man,1993
• Racine pé brilé,1994
• Ersatz of Bob Marley,1995
• Kaya chante Marley,1996
• Zistwar Revoltan,1996
• Mo la misik,1997
• Seggae Experience,1998

External links

• In the Supreme Court of Mauritius.