Mauritius: ASSA OI music residency launched for female artists

Titled ASSA OI, the initiative brings together musicians from Mauritius, Rodrigues, Réunion, Seychelles, and Mozambique for a collaborative residency that seeks to empower female creatives and amplify underrepresented voices in the region’s music industry.

The residency will take place from 4 to 9 August 2025 at OBOĒ in Pereybère, with the resulting performance to be staged at IFM on 16 August. The programme is structured around three key pillars: Residency, Restitution Concert, and Workshop.

Female-led artistic collaboration

Under the artistic direction of Réunion-based coach and director Sandrine Ebrard [Drean], five carefully selected artists including Assa Matusse (Mozambique), Christelle Zamir (Mauritius), Anjelly Legentil (Rodrigues), Vanessa Lucas (Seychelles), and Agnesca (Réunion), will co-create a unique repertoire blending live instrumentation, electronics, and performance.

The initiative promotes collaborative artistic practice and values the creative process as much as the final product. The 16 August concert will present the fruits of this joint effort, offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience a performance from the distinct yet complementary sonic traditions of the participating islands.

As part of its mission to create dialogue around gender and inclusivity in music, ASSA OI will host a workshop on 14 August at the Theatre, Film and Performing Arts Lab of the University of Mauritius. The session will allow artists to share their career journeys with students and academic staff, sparking conversations about artistic development, regional collaboration, and gender equity in the industry.

Building a regional sisterhood

ASSA OI is more than a residency, it is a manifesto for change. According to the organisers, the project seeks to strengthen regional artistic collaboration, provide visibility and professional opportunities for women creatives, and promote a more equitable music ecosystem in the Indian Ocean and across Africa.

“ASSA OI amplifies voices that have long been marginalised, proposes new creative directions, and lays a foundation for female sorority in the music industry,” the organisers said in a statement.

The initiative is supported by both public and private partners including IBL, OBOĒ, the Attitude Foundation, and the University of Mauritius. Regional collaborators include the Alliance Française of Seychelles, the Rodrigues Regional Assembly’s Arts & Culture Commission, Volume [La 113ème] in Réunion, and the Music In Africa Foundation.

Long-term vision

ASSA OI is envisioned as the first in a series of rotating residencies and training programmes across the Indian Ocean. Organisers plan to develop a sustainable platform offering shared resources, mentorship, and professional networks tailored to support women in music.

“The Indian Ocean is a space of flows, hybridity, and shared rhythms. Yet its narratives are often dominated and some voices silenced. ASSA OI offers a new approach to artistic creation, feminine, rooted in regional realities, and unifying,” the organisers added.