Inaugurated in Hell-bourg, Salazie, in November 2015,
Maison Morange is a museum about Indian Ocean music and musical instruments. Located in a traditional Creole house (built in the 1920s by the former mayor of
Bras Panon, Henri Morange), it displays over 400 instruments (from a selection of almost 2,000 collected over forty years by François Menard and Robert Fonlupt), it is France's third richest music collection. The museum itself took four years to see the light of day, and covers 450m2.
Reunion is of course remarkable by the diversity of its people, and this is reflected in the music and instruments displayed, which - like the Reunionese people - come from Africa, Madagascar, India (both Tamil and Gujarati) and China.
A small audioguide allows you to listen to the sound made by various instruments without disturbing other visitors, and all written texts have been translated into English, German and Spanish.
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| Indian processional handcart, on display in the entrance |
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Some maloya musical instruments on display: three drums, a piker at
the back, a kayamb at the front, and a bobre musical bow at the far left. |
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| a selection of sega and brass band instruments |
Each region has a room or rooms devoted to it. For China drums, gongs and cymbals are on display, amongst other instruments, and there is also a section on Tibetan music (religious and profane).
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| Part of the Chinese display |
In ancient China music was believed to be of divine origin, and it was thus granted great importance. It was a discipline that every gentleman, educated according to the Confucian tradition, would practice.
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| recreation of the boudoir of a Chinese man of letters |
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| This Chinese gong belongs to the idiophone group |
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| Drums are part of the membranophone family |
The festive aspect of African music in Reunion often overshadows its ritualistic origins.
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| part of the African display |
Hindu Indian indentured workers arrived in Reunion to work on plantations after the abolition of slavery in 1848. Like the Chinese, Indians also attribute a mythical and divine origin to their music, and many deities of the
Hindu pantheon are represented playing instruments. From the 16th century onwards
Mughal princes in Hindustan developed a refined courtly lifestyle, and until the early 20th century princes and Maharajahs maintained groups of musicians and had music rooms where the latter performed.
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| Private music room of a Maharajah |
Due to its size India has a wide diversity of cultures, and the musical instruments created by its people reflect various social and religious traditions. Animals and family life feature strongly amongst these themes.
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| Tribal Indian instruments |
In the museum a small Indian luthier's workshop has been recreated. He and his assistants would have worked sitting on the floor, surrounded by tools and half-made instruments.
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| part of the workshop of an Indian luthier |
Madagascar is itself an island that has been influenced by East Africa, the Arab world,
Indonesia and
Europe, but its
music is nevertheless original. Malagasy have local versions of lutes, zithers, and brass bands, but it is the
valiha - a bamboo tube zither - which has become the 'king' of Madagascar's instruments. Maybe that explains why I found the display of valihas one of the most beautiful exhibits in the whole museum.
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| display of valihas |
Practical info:
- Open Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm (closed Mondays).
- Price €7, free for children aged 8 and under.
- Website: http://www.maisonmorange.fr (French only)
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| © Maison Morange |
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| © Maison Morange |
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| © Maison Morange |
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| © Maison Morange |
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