On the Seychellois island of Mahé, before COVID, the weekly Moutya performance was at Beau Vallon beach at the Bazar Labrin. Enslaved Africans brought Moutya to Seychelles more than two centuries ago, and in December 2021, UNESCO added Moutya to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This article covers where to see Moutya today, what the dance reveals about Seychellois history, and how the rhythm has survived from plantation-era forests to modern beachside stages.
Enslaved Africans used to practise Moutya at night in the forest, at a distance from the plantation house where their masters lived.
Moutya is a sensual dance with simple choreography — hip-swaying and feet-shuffling to a moderate tempo. Dancers come close but do not physically touch. The drum, a large instrument with a narrow rim made of goat hide, is played mostly by men. Female dancers respond to the men in high-pitched tones, and the songs are composed in Seychellois Creole.
You can see Moutya performed weekly on Mahé, but the experience varies widely. The Wednesday night show at Vasco’s Beach is polished for tourists. The spontaneous community gatherings are more raw but harder to find. Neither guarantees the full historical context — you will need to read the lyrics and talk to the drummers to understand what the dance actually meant.
Understanding Moutya: Rhythm, Resistance, and Cultural Identity
Moutya is not a museum piece — it is a living tradition that evolved in secret and now commands a global stage.
Prior to the 1770 arrival of 15 French settlers and their enslaved African and Indian workforce, the islands that now constitute the Seychelles were uninhabited. The mix of French colonial culture and the people they enslaved — a group that also included people from the Malay archipelago and China — gave birth to the Seychellois Creole culture. Enslaved workers under French rule toiled on plantations growing cotton, maize, and rice. At night, they would steal away into the forest, far from the eyes of their enslavers, to practise Moutya around a small fire.
Historically, Moutya was a psychological comfort against hardship and poverty and a means of resisting servitude and social injustice. The lyrics often focused on recounting the cruelty of enslavers, or waxing philosophical on the pains of unrequited love. Since the songs were often about injustices, they were secretly sung in code. The Drums Regulation of 1935, passed under British rule, prohibited playing percussion instruments on Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue near certain townships, churches, and the coastline after 9 p.m. That law remained in place after Seychelles gained independence in 1976 and was only repealed in 2018.
Moutya is transmitted informally through performance, observation and imitation, and formally through research, documentation and dissemination. Sophia Rosalie, senior policy analyst at the Victoria-based Seychelles National Institute of Culture Heritage & the Arts, told Afar that the Culture Institute has created a detailed plan of action to promote traditional drum making, including an exchange program where musicians who turn in a synthetic drum receive a locally made goatskin drum in return.
Cultural history enthusiasts
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Where to Experience Moutya on Mahé
Two regular performances exist on Mahé, and they serve very different purposes.
Beau Vallon: The Sunset Market and the Resort Show
Before COVID, the weekly Moutya performance was at Beau Vallon beach at the Bazar Labrin, the sunset market. That market has not returned to its pre-pandemic frequency, but Moutya performances continue every Wednesday evening at 8:30 PM next to Vasco’s Beach at Beau Vallon. The show takes place on the grounds of STORY Seychelles, a 5-star luxury resort at Bel Ombre Road. The performance is interactive and encourages participation — guests are welcome to join in. Moutya drummer Barnet Bertin, a member of the four-man band Group Vwazen, is also the chef and owner of Island Fried Chicken in Beau Vallon. His band’s name means “neighbour” in Seychellois Creole, reflecting the community roots of the music.
Community Gatherings and Cultural Events
Moutya is usually performed spontaneously within the community, as well as at social gatherings and cultural events. These are harder for a visitor to find, but they are where the tradition retains its edge. The lyrics might focus on recounting the cruelty of enslavers, playfully sharing a salacious bit of gossip, or waxing philosophical on the pains of unrequited love. The beat is kept in time by the pounding of three circular goatskin drums sized at 22, 20, and 18 inches in diameter — referred to as the papa (father), manman (mother), and piti (child). The largest drum provides the bass notes, the maman drum keeps the rhythm, and the piti drum takes the lead melody.
Practical Planning for Seeing Moutya
Timing, transport, and what to expect from the drums themselves.
When to Go
The Wednesday evening performance at Vasco’s Beach runs at 8:30 PM year-round. The dry season (May to October) offers more comfortable evenings with lower humidity, but the show happens regardless of weather. The Bazar Labrin sunset market, when running, takes place on Wednesdays from late afternoon. Check with the STORY Seychelles concierge at +248 438 7000 to confirm the current schedule.
The Drums and Their Limitations
A shortage of quality goatskins has forced Seychellois musicians to buy traditional and synthetic drums from the nearby island of Mauritius. Drums made from synthetic materials lack the rich sound quality of conventional goatskin drums. The Culture Institute’s exchange program aims to reverse this by giving locally made goatskin drums to musicians who turn in synthetic ones. When you watch a performance, listen for the difference — a synthetic drum sounds thinner and less resonant than a properly heated goatskin drum.
| Drum | Size | Role in the rhythm |
|---|---|---|
| Papa (father) | 22 inches | Provides the bass notes of songs |
| Manman (mother) | 20 inches | Keeps the rhythm |
| Piti (child) | 18 inches | Takes the lead melody |
Arrive at Vasco’s Beach by 8:00 PM to watch the drummers warm the skins over the fire. The process of heating the goat hide until it grows taut takes about 15 minutes and is as much a part of the performance as the dancing. Stand near the fire, not the stage, to hear the pitch change as the leather tightens.
Moutya songs begin slowly and gradually pick up tempo. First-time visitors often sit down during the slow opening, only to realise the dance becomes increasingly energetic. The call-and-response structure means the crowd participates — if you are seated far back, you will miss the interactive element.
On the Ground: What to Know Before You Go
Moutya is as much about listening as watching. The songs carry history that is not obvious from the choreography alone.
Understanding the Lyrics
Moutya songs are composed in Seychellois Creole. Since lyrics often focused on injustices during the colonial era, songs were secretly sung in code. Moutya songs that were popular during the colonial era are still favourites today and have been passed down through the generations. They functioned as a way to keep an oral history during a time when official records were kept by the ruling class. You will not understand the lyrics without a translator or prior research — learning a few Creole phrases before the show will transform the experience.
Packing for the Evening
The performance takes place outdoors on sand. You will stand or sit on the ground for 45 minutes to an hour. A lightweight sarong or scarf serves as a seat cushion and doubles as a wind barrier if the trade winds pick up. The bonfire provides warmth, but the beach cools quickly after sunset. A small flashlight helps navigate the path back to the road — the resort grounds are lit, but the surrounding street is not.
- Arrive early to watch the drum-warming process — it is the most visually striking part of the preparation.
- Learn at least one Seychellois Creole phrase related to music or dance before attending; it will help you understand the call-and-response structure.
- Bring a scarf or sarong to sit on — the sand retains daytime heat only until the sun drops.
Moutya: Your Questions Answered
Where can I see Moutya performed in Seychelles?
The most reliable weekly performance happens every Wednesday at 8:30 PM next to Vasco’s Beach at Beau Vallon on Mahé, hosted on the grounds of STORY Seychelles. Community performances occur at cultural events and social gatherings, but these are not regularly scheduled and require local connections to find.
The Bazar Labrin sunset market at Beau Vallon previously hosted weekly Moutya before COVID. That market has not returned to its original frequency, but the resort-backed Wednesday show continues year-round.
Is Moutya still performed in the traditional way?
The choreography remains traditional — bare feet shuffling side to side, hips swaying, dancers close but not touching. The drums are still heated over a fire before playing. But a shortage of quality goatskins has forced some musicians to use synthetic drums imported from Mauritius, which produce a thinner sound than the traditional goatskin instruments.
The Culture Institute is running an exchange program where musicians can trade in synthetic drums for locally made goatskin drums, aiming to restore the traditional sound quality.
Why was Moutya added to UNESCO’s intangible heritage list?
UNESCO inscribed Moutya in December 2021 because it represents a living tradition of resistance and cultural identity. Enslaved Africans created the dance in the 18th century as a way to express grief, frustration, and anger away from the eyes of plantation owners. The dance continues to function as a form of social commentary and oral history.
Moutya became the first Seychellois tradition to receive this global honour.
Can tourists participate in the dance?
Yes, the Wednesday night performance at Vasco’s Beach encourages audience participation. The interactive call-and-response structure means visitors are invited to join the dance circle. The choreography is simple — shuffling feet and swaying hips with no physical contact — making it accessible even for first-timers.
That said, the resort setting means the performance is polished. A spontaneous community gathering will feel less rehearsed and more emotionally raw.
What is the historical significance of the Drums Regulation of 1935?
British colonial authorities passed the Drums Regulation of 1935, which prohibited playing percussion instruments on Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue near certain townships, churches, and the coastline after 9 p.m. The law targeted Moutya specifically, restricting when and where enslaved descendants could perform their cultural music. The regulation remained in place after Seychelles gained independence in 1976 and was only repealed in 2018.
The 83-year ban demonstrates how the colonial administration viewed Moutya as a threat, and why the dance’s survival is a story of deliberate cultural resistance.
Moutya connects three centuries of Seychellois history through a single rhythm — the same three-drum structure that kept time in plantation forests now draws crowds at a luxury resort. The Wednesday show at Vasco’s Beach offers a starting point, but the full story lives in the lyrics, the heated goatskin, and the call-and-response that still carries coded social commentary. To hear the difference between a synthetic drum and a goatskin drum is to understand what the Culture Institute’s exchange program is trying to preserve. The sound of Seychelles runs deeper than any one performance.
Sources and further reading
Moutya — Intangible Cultural Heritage. UNESCO, 2021.
Moutya, the Seychellois Dance from the Islands’ Colonial Past. Afar Magazine, 2022.
Moutya Dance — Rhythm of Seychelles. STORY Seychelles, 2023.
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