Luxury Mauritius hotels are some of the most exquisite hotels the world knows. Its history as a port city means that the level of comfort and hospitality has been high for generations upon generations. Strangers are made to feel welcome here, and the hotels will be as warm and inviting as the sandy beaches. The rhythms of the island are infectious, and the long musical traditions here, from the roots-music sega and beyond, leave a lasting legacy. Of the legacy, the U.K. band Incognito is one of the newest incarnations.<
Jean-Paul Maunick, known to loyal fans as Bluey, is the driving force behind incognito. His life began here in Mauritius, and he moved to London at the age of 10, with his mother. The island rhythms hung with him, and inform radical musical experimentation. In London, punk rock was the main force in the music industry when Bluey began the work that would lead to Incognito. Punk rock is a music of absolute rebellion, rejecting all the forces that came before, and clearing the ground in the hopes that no forces would exist after its reign. Punk rock is a raw energy that stems from youth culture, a generation annoyed and irritated with the prevailing norms. To reject in the name of creating something new was the way of working in the world. This total and complete vision was extremely liberating to a generation of musical artists.
For Incognito, roots in punk rock aesthetics may seem incongruous, since the group’s smooth and acid jazz style is more soothing than irritating. But it’s precisely the spirit of punk rock in disregarding the conventions of proper culture in order to create something new. Incognito is a mix of many cultural traditions and rhythms, both African and European, and in this way is almost peculiarly Mauritian. The recent release of Incognito’s “Tales from the Beach,” is a continuation of the lead members allegiance to the rhythms of his boyhood home.