Last Saturday was a special day at Savannah Connected Countryside! The residents got together to celebrate Mauritius’ 55^th independence anniversary – a first of many exceptional and colourful celebrations to come, filled with hues of the Mauritian quadricolour flag. It was also a perfect day for neighbours to reconnect in the charming setting of La Place de Gros Bois with Mauritius, its music, delicacies and warmth, as guests of honour…

The mood – both in and around La Place de Gros Bois – was beyond festive last Saturday 11^th of March. Whilst everyone in Mauritius was getting ready to commemorate the island’s 55^th independence anniversary on the next day, La Place’s members were invited to start celebrating a bit earlier!

The party was launched at around 5p.m with a sundowner, admired to the sound of music played by a DJ. Bonding with neighbours, watching the sun set amidst the lush southern scenery, all while savouring typically Mauritian street food. What a sweet way to end a rainy week and relax with loved ones!

Around 300 guests were present for the Independence Day evening, sponsored by Savannah Connected Countryside for the members of La Place de Gros Bois. Together, they enjoyed some of the best traditional local delicacies. Ti puri, boulettes, mines, gato arouille… A delight for the taste buds! And a continued delight for the ears as well, since the DJ set was followed by Live music as from 7.30p.m…

To open the Live music show, the keen residents of Savannah Connected Countryside warmly welcomed on stage…one of their neighbours! Jean Yves Bestel, a passionate musician who lives in Gros Bois, is best known for having contributed to Zulu’s latest album, United Colors, and mainly for his duet with the singer on ‘Kouler mo lapo’, a beautiful hymn to Mauritian culture for which he wrote the lyrics and composed the music. Jean Yves tells us more about the concert:

“I’ve been playing music for many years. I have even performed in other places with a bigger audience. But singing in front of my neighbours has been a unique and amazing experience! The preparation was intense and interesting, yet when I found myself on stage in front of 300 people, I felt…a lot more stressed than I thought! Then, the nice, intimate setting, and the fact that I was able to sing some of the compositions I wrote for other singers in my own way, managed to carry me away. What I love the most is the way I feel during the first few minutes after I get on stage. I would happily do it again if I have an opportunity!”

After setting the tone for about half an hour, the singer, song-writer and music composer left the stage to enjoy the rest of the event with his family and neighbours. Hans Nayna and his musicians then took over, and the members of La Place de Gros Bois ended the night in style by humming some of the Mauritian singer’s famous songs.

Mo les mo lam plane…

The event – a perfect mix of the enthusiasm felt at Live music concerts, the euphoria of late-night celebrations on the eve of public holidays, and the community spirit nurtured in the Gros Bois neighbourhood – is part of a long list of feel-good activities organised by Savannah Connected Countryside for its residents. La Place de Gros Bois is undoubtedly the ideal place for neighbours to meet, party and relax together, and simply enjoy the Savanian art de vivre.

 A perfect place of encounter at the heart of the Smart Village, La Place’s main aim is to promote the unique way of life in the Gros Bois neighbourhood. A membership at La Place, reserved for Savannah Connected Countryside’s residents, holds a number of advantages, such as:

– A 25 % discount at the restaurant,

– The exclusive use of the sports grounds and courts,

– The organisation of special events, and

– Preferential rates when renting the kids club or the restaurant for birthday parties, private events, etc.

It is nevertheless possible, for all those who wish to discover the warmth and welcoming atmosphere of the Smart Village, to make a reservation at the restaurant and enjoy a delicious meal ; shop local and fresh products at La Corbeille, and very soon, rent a co-working space or meeting room.