Idantite is the first studio-album produced and performed by the Mauritian band Zilwala. The 9-track album stems from inspirations, legacies, people and countless creative moments spent by the musicians. 

Most of the songs are socially-committed ones; essentially narrating the Mauritian reality in terms of mindset, on Pran Kont Zenes, Destin and Fos Profet; and also in tribute to our ancestors, as on Cilaos, that suffered and endured for a future they envisioned, a future in which we are harvesting what they’ve sown. The musicians made their art while devoting their chords and rhythms to resound in such aspects of our past and present. 

Idantite is dedicated in being and living as a native of our little island; upholding the fact that whatever may arise, we are one as a nation and we, each and every, are all ‘Zilwa’. Also, this has been brought about with love and a collective endeavour by Zilwala in hailing the typical seggae genre, as played and left to us by its late founder Joseph Reginald Topize (Kaya), with an instrumental evolution and the contribution to contemporary culture as a whole. Fevrier 99 and Seggae mo Lamizik are both tributes to the late seggae pioneer and founder, Kaya. 

The Keystone behind this album is the collective synergy and shared creative-discipline among the band-members, promoting forward thinking and movement; creating music, as a group of synchronised zilwa working as one. 

The album consists of a confident songwriting and vocal that has been the extensive work of Didier Armel, musically known as Zion. On the instrumental backbone, Jimmy Serret and Jean Noël Sardes cover the bass and drums respectively and firmly. Defining the rhythms are Nicolas Duval a.k.a Ninjah on the lead guitar and Lionel Chelliah a.k.a Ti Punk executing the percussions. The arrangements and instrumental path of the album were curated by the expertise of Nicolas. And, to resound, lyrics were enhanced and emphasised by the backing vocals of Coralyne Cerdor and a featuring with Jasmine Toulouse on Fevrier 99.

Idantite is the first album release on Zanana Records, a recently-established music label representing and promoting Mauritius’ local music scene in respect of heritage and cultures. The album was recorded and mastered by Neil Combstock at The Studio; which along the music label, flows in the same vein of the electrocaïne collective.

Cover Art: Evan Sohun

ZNN001 | Zilwala - Idantite

Vocals: Zion
Guitar: Ninjah​
Bass: Jimmy Serret
Drums: Jean Noel Sardes
Percussions: Ti Punk
Backing Vocals: Coralyne Cerdor
Producer/Mixing/Mastering: Neil Combstock​

Recorded at The Studio​
Cover Art: Evan Sohun

Idantite

Destin

Ziwala

Zilwala

Fos Profet

Vocals: Zion
Guitar: Ninjah​
Bass: Jimmy Serret
Drums: Jean Noel Sardes
Percussions: Ti Punk
Producer/Mixing/Mastering: Neil Combstock​

Recorded at The Studio​
Cover Art: Evan Sohun

Fevrier 99

Fevrier 99 feat. Jasmine Toulouse

Trayizon

Seggae Mo Lamizik are the words and rhythms that pays tribute to mauritians, those who envisioned our island’s freedom; as a whole and in terms of expression, tolerance and liberal mindset.

The words are dedicated to the Seggae genre, left to us and to our music culture by its late founder Joseph Reginald Topize; nationally known as Kaya. The guitar strums and rhythms are in turn dedicated to the sacrifices made by our ancestors during slavery; where every whip they endured are to vibrate through the strings, to resonate a future which they dreamt of seeing and in which we are all living.

Listen to the premiere, Seggae Mo Lamizik, from Zilwala’s first album ‘Idantite’ coming out this August.

Vocals: Zion
Guitar: Ninjah​
Bass: Jimmy Serret
Drums: Jean Noel Sardes
Percussions: Ti Punk
Backing Vocals: Coralyne Cerdor
Producer/Mixing/Mastering: Neil Combstock​
Recorded at The Studio​

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UwXb7UXOqM

Seggae Mo Lamizik

Cilaos

Pran Kont Zenes

Idanite

zanana records

zanana records is a label tropically oriented and typically directed on the local music scene of Mauritius.

the label deems as objective in being a space for promoting the sounds and the people behind; that represent most our island in terms of heritage and cultures.

It has been established in early 2017 based in Plaine Wilhems; and as the traditional tastes that our country’s 'confi and sirop Zanana' evokes, we support music with a distinctively sweet flair.

Part of @electrocaine