{"id":91866,"date":"2015-02-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-02-16T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelstartblg.wpenginepowered.com\/reunion-island-festival-of-freedom\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T13:52:35","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T13:52:35","slug":"reunion-island-festival-of-freedom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/reunion-island-festival-of-freedom\/","title":{"rendered":"Reunion Island. Festival of Freedom"},"content":{"rendered":"

reunion –\u00a0<\/strong>ri\u02d0\u02c8ju\u02d0nj\u0259n,-\u026a\u0259n<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The action of being brought together again as a unified whole.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

A rather appropriate name\u00a0for an island that\u00a0speaks of unity, of a gathering of people, the bringing together of friends. One that is home to a\u00a0proud\u00a0Creole people.<\/p>\n

Approaching\u00a0Saint Denis Airport<\/a>, my window seat offers a view of the island as it pushes\u00a0up from\u00a0the endless blue waters. It looks small, yet\u00a0determined. The landing strip runs along the edge of the coastline and the\u00a0pilot delivers a smooth arrival to a planeload\u00a0of excited people. Many holiday makers, some business, two\u00a0of us here with a very specific purpose. To experience the annual\u00a0Festival\u00a0Libert\u00e9 M\u00e9tisse.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Personally,\u00a0I\u2019m beyond excited to come into contact\u00a0with\u00a0this brand new destination.<\/p>\n

To offer some bearings, Reunion Island<\/strong> is in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa, with Madagascar<\/a> its closest neighbour. A Department of France, the island falls under French rule with the citizens holding mainland residency. They refer fondly to the Metropol<\/em> when talking about France, as though it were just up\u00a0the road and not a continent away. French is spoken, the Euro is used. The food is good too.<\/p>\n

Reunion Island also forms parts of the\u00a0Vanilla Island<\/a>\u00a0collective, an alliance that\u00a0promotes Madagascar, the Seychelles, Mauritius<\/a>, Mayotte, Comoros and the Maldives as a region;\u00a0one that\u00a0encourages\u00a0a focus on the environment,\u00a0as well as\u00a0responsible and sustainable tourism. And yes, they\u00a0may have much in common with their neighbours, yet here on Reunion Island it feels different. More authentic. This island first and foremost belongs to its\u00a0proud and relaxed people. This is the uniqueness and focus.<\/p>\n

I am here for the weekend as\u00a0a guest of Reunion Island Tourism\u00a0<\/strong>to experience and learn as much as possible about their\u00a0Festival of Freedom <\/strong>or\u00a0Festival\u00a0Libert\u00e9 M\u00e9tisse<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong>which has been hosted\u00a0for the past\u00a0five\u00a0years on the Etang Sal\u00e9 les Bains\u00a0Beach in celebration of the abolition of slavery. The Festival\u00a0offers\u00a0expos, concerts, craft and most importantly, music!<\/p>\n

\"Festival
\nOfficially opened by the President of the Vanilla Islands, the Renegade<\/em>\u00a0percussion group instantly brings life to the proceedings. The audience start to bop to the beat and I follow their lead, clapping and cheering along. Over the next two days the three stages on the beach host various dance acts and musicians. The crowds come and go, some settling in, sarongs and picnics on the black lava sand, others passing through, taking to the\u00a0rhythm as they do,\u00a0usually with a stranger. But then again, on an island with a population of only 850\u00a0000, there is no such thing as a stranger.\u00a0There\u00a0is even\u00a0live graffiti going up as I watch.<\/p>\n

\"Renegades<\/p>\n

Looking at the word Creole with special reference to Reunion I learn that the island was largely unpopulated until the late 17th century and had no indigenous language. Then people from France and Madagascar, as well as East African slaves started arriving. Slavery was officially abolished on 20 December 1848 and labourers\u00a0were brought from India and China to\u00a0work on the farms.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0result? A linguistic melting-pot, with French dominating and Malagasy, Tamil, Portuguese and Hindi all influencing the development of the\u00a0R\u00e9union Creole people and\u00a0language. The name Creole actually comes from\u00a0criollo<\/em>\u00a0in Spanish and\u00a0crioulo<\/em>\u00a0in Portuguese, words used in the 16th and 17th centuries in colonies to describe those born and raised locally as opposed to those who immigrated as adults.\u00a0My guide Philippe points out that even though there is a strong French linguistic influence, he doesn\u2019t understand when the language is spoken in its purest form.<\/p>\n

\u2019We are Creole<\/em>\u2019. I\u2019m told. \u2018Not Irish or African or Chinese. We are the Creole of Reunion<\/em>.\u2019<\/p>\n

This was very evident as we were invited to join Dany\u00e8l Waro,<\/strong>\u00a0legendary Creole musician, poet and activist,\u00a0at his home Kabaro<\/em>.\u00a0A highlight of my\u00a0Festival Libert\u00e9 M\u00e9tisse<\/strong>\u00a0experience. Dany\u00e8l Waro<\/a>\u00a0personifies warmth. He welcomed us with open arms, kisses to the cheeks and a heartfelt invitation to join the vibrant dancing. The rain ran down his face and the humidity fogged up his glasses, but nothing could dampen the energy or pride that shone from this man, who is known as the\u00a0Creole<\/strong>\u00a0King of Maloya<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Maloya is the rhythmic music on which plantation workers have been singing their joys and woes since the days of Isle de Bourbon.<\/strong>\u00a0Today the focus has shifted from the political voice of slaves to a message of peace and hope for the environment. The modest home in his sugarcane fields high up above Saint-Paul, is where children are hosted by him on overnight camps, taught how to grow vegetables, where their food comes from, the importance of healthy eating and about the preservation of the ocean. Also why the world is worth fighting for.<\/p>\n

His songs border on poetry. He speaks of love, death and hope, using the\u00a0voice of the Creole people, keeping their tradition alive. Waro makes sure through expressive beauty and words, that the language is not forgotten.\u00a0‘I\u00a0defend\u00a0freedom of expression, the seeking out of truth, our culture and proud heritage’ –<\/em>\u00a0and the R\u00e9unionese\u00a0listen. As did I.<\/p>\n

In the rain, mud underfoot, more accurately mud everywhere, the mood was light, animated, passion filled. With a complete sense of abandon that the uniting\u00a0<\/strong>mixed freedom festival\u00a0<\/strong>celebrates.<\/p>\n

\"Traditional<\/p>\n

\"Street<\/a>
Street Artists bring their art to life as we watch, at the Festival.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Danyel<\/a>
Danyel Waro, the Creole Music legend himself.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Creole<\/a>
Creole singers at Danyel Waro’s\u00a0Kazkabar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The rain never dampened the spirit, shoes were kicked off and dancing was free, barefoot in the mud.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"While<\/a>
While the parents danced to the music the children played, some on their tippy toes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are many reasons to go to Reunion<\/a>, but the Festival is certainly one of them if you’d like a full cultural immerser.<\/p>\n

Actually the\u00a0Etang Sal\u00e9 les Bains Beach\u00a0<\/strong>has a character of its own too. Palm trees line the coast and the water laps gently in the area offered for protected swimming. The sand under foot is volcanic black, and burns as you walk down to the shore. This thanks to the active volcano which occasionally erupts to add to the bulk of land. It erupted as recently as\u00a0Janauary\u00a02015. Also that in its big eruption of 2007, the island actually gained 3,5\u00a0ha. Not a bad thing say the La Reunion residents, who refer to it as \u2018their volcano\u2019 with pride not fear. Although typically there are legends of devils and dares that surround it.<\/p>\n

From the air during our helicopter flight with Coral H\u00e9licopt\u00e9res<\/a>, I get a better idea of what they mean. There\u2019s nothing quite like an aerial perspective and that is particularly true of Reunion. As we take off my French pilot offers detail of the areas that we are flying over. I see the change of landscape and for the first time grasp the diversity of offerings for which this destination is renowned.<\/p>\n

We fly over fruit trees and farmland, over scatterings of homes on hill tops, some only accessible by foot. Lush green crevices with cascading waterfalls, which we career past, the pilot lifting the joystick\u00a0at the last moment, playing with us and the wonders of nature. Further teasing as we are taken to the barren black and grey of the volcano and her craters. I catch a glimpse of some hikers, the red on their jackets breaking their cover. What an activity to do.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t want the flight to end. I haven\u2019t understood a word, yet the whir of the overhead propeller, the view through the front window and speed at which we are flying through the air excites me. The last stretch is over the lagoon. White beaches, calm blue water, yachts and boats. I\u2019m delighted as I catch sight of two leatherback turtles playing in the water below.<\/p>\n

Back on solid ground, we head to the Saint Pierre Market to replenish on local offerings and do some shopping. Everybody loves a good market, especially one that is bursting with fresh fruit and veg, local specialty cuisine, crafted goods, woven baskets, photography, jewellery and hand produced clothing. Money was spent, litchis and annanas eaten, chats were had. My kind of shopping experience. It\u2019s right on the coastline too, with a skate park next door.<\/p>\n

The list of activities on offer is endless with forty percent of its 2500 km2<\/sup> territory classified as World Heritage Site by UNESCO, many hiking trails, beaches, lakes and rivers with all their varied water sports including scuba diving. Paragliding, kayaking, canyoning.<\/p>\n

Also take the time to meet some of the\u00a0Artisan producers, including\u00a0the Vanilla Co-Operative<\/a>, Noute Kaf\u00e9<\/a> for hand ground and roasted coffee and the Maison de Geranium<\/a> distillery. They make their island proud.<\/p>\n

The weather is hot and very humid. Especially after the gentle rain which seems to come at night in the rainy season. A welcome thing, that enhances the vibrancy of the colours and flavours. Petite in size, grand in character.\u00a0Here lives the good life and I was very happy to have this\u00a0introduction\u00a0to it.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Artisan producers of the island.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My Reunion Island pointers:<\/h2>\n