Marcel Lindsay Noe-Roi des Corsaires

Photo: Marcel with General Nebout & Yves-Alain Corporeau










Question:
What is the most precious of your childhood memories?
Answer:Growing up in Rose Belle, in the Mauritian countryside...and going to school in New Grove.
Secondary schooling at St Esprit College and carefree teenage years.

Question:
When did you or your parents migrate to Australia?
Answer:
I came to Melbourne in 1968 with a very young family. For the adventure, more so than for fleeing the economic and political situation back home.

Question:
What is it that you like most about the Australian way of life?
Answer:
A land of plenty where your hard work can get you just about anything.

Question:
What did you do in your first job or occupation?
Answer:
Medical Representative

Question:
What are / were your career highlights?
Answer:
Youngest Sales Manager in the Pharmaceutical Industry.
Topping Australia at the Marketing Exams.
Creating "La Bonne Vie" and introducing the first French beer, Brittany Crepes and french wine into mass distribution in Australia.
Delegate General in Australia for the International Festival of the Sea in Mauritius,1987.
Back in Mauritius publishing lifestyle and Tourist magazines.
Conception and Event Management of "30 year Independence Celebrations" on the Port-Louis Waterfront. Largest crowd in the history of Maurtius (200,000 people)
Conception of Grand Port 2010 Bicentenary celebrations.

Question:
What is your favourite book?
Answer:
Surcouf Roi des Corsaires.

Question:
What do you like most in people?
Answer:
Straightforwardness& Honesty. (What you see is what you get).
Humour & Smiles.
Culture.

Question:
Who do you admire most?
Answer:
(Past): Mahatma Gandhi
(Present): Nelson Mandela

Question:
What is your favourite dish?
Answer:
(Mauritian): Freshly caught Fish in Madras Curry sauce ++ all the side dishes...
(International): Smoked Salmon (fished in the wild by fishing lines not nets, preventing the bruises) & Alaskan Crab.

Question:
What is your most valuable trait / personal quality?
Answer:
Open mindedness and resilience.

Question:
Tell us about your most worthwhile achievement(s)?
Answer:
After 15 years work, creating "1810 Grand Port - Historic Village & Shipyard"
My Magnum Opus.

Question:
What is the most memorable moment in your life?
Answer:
Falling in love for the first of many times.

Question:
If you could wave a magic wand and do something that you desire most, what would it be?
Answer:
Eradicate all religious and political differences. The creation of One Race : The Human Race.
Creation of total Harmony.

Question:
What is most precious to you at this point in your life?
Answer:
My honour and the image I shall leave for my children to live with.

Question:
What are your plans for the future?
Answer:
Completing my Historical Village and continuing to work in the cultural field.
Writing my memoirs.

Eddy Abraham-The Mauritian from Nosy-Bé

Question:
Where were you born and what is it that you cherish most about your birthplace?
Answer: I was born in Nosy-Bé, in the then French Colony of Madagascar. I cherish the souvenir of our house in Jhabal-Bé where I grew up, the garage where my father used to work, the “Sadua”, Mansion where the French bosses lived, the Church of St Peter & St Paul in Hell-Ville where I was baptised and the Hell-Ville Cemetery where my godfather Benjamin Abraham and my sister Denise Abraham are buried.

Photo of Eddy Abraham with Governor-General Michael Jeffrey at Government House in Canberra

Question:
What is the most precious of your childhood memories?
Answer: Growing up with my sister Maryse, riding our tricycle near the river(full of crocodiles) in our backyard, my father’s vintage car, my Malagasy nanny Mboty Hoahoa, with whom I reconnected after 50 years, my male servant Miser, who put me to bed every night, the Pouce Pouce which took my sister and me to school in Hell-Ville everyday, my caring godmother Cécile Le Gros (deceased), my loving parents Marcel & Suzanne Abraham (deceased) and my dog Noiro, which chased our car, the day we left Jhabal-Bé to catch the boat to Mauritius.

Question:
When did you or your parents migrate to Australia?
Answer: My wife Brigitte, my son Jean-Dominique and I, migrated to Australia in November 1971

Question:
What is it that you like most about the Australian way of life?
Answer: The easy going way of life, the concept of a fair go for everyone and the opportunities the country offers to anyone who is willing to take them. I admire the sense of punctuality of Australians and the promotion based on merits. I also like the catch phrase, “No worries” and the way Australians always pay tribute to their elders, their heroes, their legends, whether they were on the battlefields, in sports or in any spheres of human activity.

Question:
What did you do in your first job or occupation?
Answer: Teacher in Government Primary Schools in Mauritius.

Question:
What are / were your career highlights?
Answer: Teaching English as a Second Language in Catholic Primary Schools in Victoria.

Obtaining a one-year scholarship to upgrade my qualifications, sponsored by

The Catholic Education Office of Victoria.

Pioneering a French Language Program for primary school students at St.

Colman’s, Balaclava, where there were a lot of Mauritian students.

Developing a Mauritian Studies Kit that was distributed to Catholic Schools with

a high percentage of Mauritian students.

Writing a Booklet, “Mauritians, who are they”, to introduce the Mauritian

Migrant to Catholic Schools.

Entry at La Trobe University and Melbourne University.

Upgrading my teaching qualifications to: Grad. Dip in Inter-Ethnic Studies &

Education, B.Ed.(Primary) and Post Grad. Dip. In Applied Linguistics.

Teaching English as a Second Language at tertiary level, namely at Kangan/

Batman Institute of TAFE.

Question:
What is your favourite book?
Answer: I must mention three:”Histoire de la literature mauricienne de langue francaise”

by Jean-Georges Prosper, “ Beaux Songes”, by Nando Bodha and “ Orchidée”, by

Marc Grégoire.

Question:
What do you like most in people?
Answer: Loyalty, fair play, frankness, reciprocating my sincerity, people who are achievers and not opportunists just sitting on others’ sweat, people who show their true colours, people who don’t lose their dignity, people who don’t self appropriate others’ laurels.

Question:
Who do you admire most?
Answer: Nelson Mandella

Question:
What is your favourite dish?
Answer: Beefsteak aux pommes.

Question:
What is your most valuable trait / personal quality?
Answer: I am a perfectionist, a man of my word, punctual, a well-mannered person. I give credit where credit is due. I am sincere, trustworthy and I speak my mind

Question:
Tell us about your most worthwhile achievement(s)?
Answer: Receiving the Order of Australia Medal.

Receiving the Inaugural Medal for Excellence in Multicultural Affairs.

Receiving the Order of St .Peter & St. Paul Medal.

Receiving the Etoile de la Créolophonie Award.

Setting up the Mauritian Program on Ethnic Radio 3ZZZ.

Administrator of the Victoria-Mauritian Pastoral Council

Receiving Holy Communion from late Pope John-Paul 2.

Being invited to two receptions at Government House in Canberra,

hosted by Governor-General Michael Jeffrey and Lady Jeffrey.

Winning a Defamation Case against Jean-Claude Antoine & Weekend.

Correspondent for Radio France Internationale.

Covering the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Coolum,in

2002.

Putting the Mauritian Community on the Ethnic Map of Australia

Representing Mauritians on the Melbourne Archdiocesan Commission on Migration.

Question:
What is the most memorable moment in your life?
Question: My Wedding Day

Question:
If you could wave a magic wand and do something that you desire most, what would it be?
Answer: Share my achievements with my deceased parents.

Question:
What is most precious to you at this point in your life?
Answer: My wife Brigitte and my son Jean-Dominique

Question:
What are your plans for the future?
Answer: Continue to volunteer my teaching services to Australians.

Tessa Naidu-Rising Mauritian Star

Name: Tessa Jennifer Naidu
DOB: 09/12/1977
Place of Birth: Glasgow, Scotland
Parents: Mary Rose Milate (Castel) and René Marcel Naidu (Port Louis)
Grandparents: Roger and Rita Milate & Samuel and Helena Naidu

Mary Milate and René Naidu met and married in Glasgow, Scotland where they had both gone to from Mauritius to study nursing.

Tessa was born in 1977 in Glasgow, but soon after, the family moved to the north of England where Tessa lived till she was 8 years old. The Naidu family emigrated to Adelaide in 1986 and then moved to Melbourne in 1998 where they settled in Wantirna South. Tessa has a younger brother Vince-Lee who was born in Adelaide and is now 18.

Tessa has always loved singing since a young age. Her first memory of singing, was along to songs from “Top of the Pops’ which would drive her parents mad. It was during her time in the choir at her Adelaide secondary school that Tessa developed her singing skills and had a chance to take part in recording in a real studio. Tessa’s music teacher used to tell her that she had a great ear for music and despite not being professionally trained in reading or writing music Tessa was able to memorise pieces of music on keyboard, guitar and drums.

Tessa enjoys a wide range of music and attributes this to her father, René’s influence who encouraged her from a young age to appreciate all types of music – from R’n’B to Soul, alternative, world, dance, rock and of course sega.

Tessa’s first memories of sega are dancing and singing for whole weekends at friends’ houses in England. Tessa says her first memory is dancing to Viré Mama. Tessa says that her favourite kind of sega is the raw, typique sega – “the kind that you sing by the beach or on a bus picnic with family and friends” she notes. And each time Tessa visits Mauritius – seven times since she was 3, she has a great opportunity to spend time with family and friends. Her mother is one of 10 brothers and sisters and her father one of 7. Tessa remarks “there are so many cousins, it’s great!”

Tessa says that she first picked up the créole language on her first trip to Mauritius at the age of 3. “ I picked up the swear words first, but then when I came home to England I spoke only créole – when we got back to England, mum had to keep me at home to re-learn English!” This has helped Tessa to be fluent in the créole language, which in turn provides that a Glasgow-born, English-raised Australian can sing sega so well!

“People are often amazed that I am able to sing sega, but particularly that I can sing and speak in créole. People often tell me that I sing in the raw style of Nancy Derogère – but on the new album my voice style is different and people are surprised,” Tessa says.

Tessa notes that she was so pleased to have the opportunity to take part in Christian Calou’s latest album “Dialsa Kréole”. Tessa has 2 main songs on the album “Zozo Malheur” and “Voyage Forcé”, but also sings back-up on a number of other tracks. Tessa says that her favourite song to sing was “Zozo Malheur” and that she really enjoyed recording in Cassiya’s studio – a group who she has always idolised. Tessa also enjoyed the time spent in Mauritius in 2004, despite the hectic schedule of doing radio and newspaper interviews – she had the chance to work with and meet great Mauritian artists such as Désiré Saramandif, Sandra Mayotte, José Pitchen, Kathy Martin and the group Kazamik.

Tessa is starting to sit down and write her own songs, with the help of her partner of 3 years Dylan Reed. Tessa says that she appreciates that the person who has most supported her singing has been Dylan, who plays both piano/keyboard and clarinet and is helping Tessa to work on the theory side of putting the music/songs together that she is writing.