Claudio Veeraragoo, according to the net, composed the internationally famous sega Ambalaba in 1966. I was fortunate to capture the vibrancy of a simple, but colourful piece of music, which was to become a ‘classic’ in Mauritian anthology. That was during the first edition of Sugar Time on the estate when artisan Jayram repeated a verse with delectation ‘To manz mo salad ambalaba’. We young boys cheered and whistled each time he closed the verse with ‘ambalaba’.

This Saturday evening Jocelyn and Jessica Macquet interpreted Ambalaba as they have been doing for years to the pleasure of, we mortals seeking some quality moments on the Westin resort. They brought me back to my adolescent days. Jos and Jess are a couple of musical magicians of romance. Ambalaba ranks among the top songs on their ‘hit parade’ inland and at sea. Jos was performing on a catamaran for tourists in amazement of the sea, the sunset and… the sega.

One particular occupant of the catamaran turned to Jos with special attention and echoed ‘ambalaba’. He was Maxime Le Forestier to whom Jos repeated the words of the song. The story is known to music lovers: Maxime Le Forestier made a hit of Ambalaba, once in France, another proof, if proof is required, that music has no frontier; it transcends us to places in time, all the time we wish. Jos has been a catalyst with his soft voice and simple guitar in passing on the words and melody to Le Forestier.

Jos is a zanfan lakot, a child living by the sea at Grand-Bay. Out of school he assisted his father, a professional fisher, and saved coin after coin until at 17, he bought a second-hand guitar from un particulier, meaning an owner who was ready to sell, at Rs 500. He self-taught himself the rudiment of the guitar trusting his ears and reached a point of recognizing the guitar notation symbols. His assiduity has made him the professional he is today and no audience, most of the time foreigners, are source of intimidation for him.

Remarkably Jos and Jess face their audience in direct communication avoiding a stand to hold copies of songs they actually sing from their memory with their heart throughout the show. They prefer the eye-to-eye contact with their audience who, Jess says, fondly appreciate songs of their childhood. They do not sing the playback way, but live and direct. Jos cherishes Neil Young’s Heart of Gold, Bob Dylan’s How many Times, this one being the first song he learnt. He also likes the songs of George Hamilton, Karim Kacel and Don McLean, Harry Belafonte, the Lady in Red and… Despacito. Jos tells me he sings Bollywood songs, when needed, putting his audience in awe.

Jos and Jess share a living repository of a mass of love songs that fit in their entertainment list. He is a crooner who does not boast he is one. Jos and Jess can’t help making people fall in love or can’t help them thinking out loud their youthful romantic times. For a long time, the guitar chords of Jos and Jess will continue producing the sounds and the strings will vibrate as new as always from the touch of their magic fingers.