Kick-off for the activities to commemorate the 39th anniversary of independence and 15th anniversary of the Republic. The ministry of Arts and Culture, Mahendra Gowressoo, held a press conference yesterday where he announced the activities to be held by his ministry and the government in general. Two Mauritian artists settled abroad ? Clarel Betsy and Ardé Williams ? are performing for the official ceremony and the cultural show scheduled next Monday at 4.30 pm on Prof. Sookdeo Bissoondoyal Esplanade at Port-Louis Waterfront. (see inset).

The whole ceremony will be broadcast live on MBCTV as well as on Servihoo ?to allow people all over the world to see our national celebrations?. You might have already seen TV clips to invite the population to the festivities on 12th March.

As agreed by the government last year, the theme will remain ?Nou pei nou fierte? (Our country, our pride) for the next five years. The Malagasy president, Marc Ravalomanana, will be the guest of honour in Mauritius while the vice-president, Raouf Bundhun, will be the chief guest in Rodrigues.

The highlights on the agenda are parades of sports federations, police, prison and fire service officers as well as outreach services such as the Samu, ambulances, Cyber Caravan, blood donation buses and a bus from Rajiv Gandhi Science Centre to start the festivities. Clarel Betsy and Ardé Williams, have come from France and South Africa for the occasion, will then perform and they will be followed by a dance show Dream Island, by the Art Academy of famous dancers Sandhip Bhimjee and Anna Patten.

The official part will end with the flag raising ceremony at 6 pm ? just before the ?popular celebration?, which will welcome some thirty local artists. The show will be a clever mixture of Mauritian culture with artists such as Menwar, Nalini Dance Group, the Chinese Cultural Centre, Qawwali ? Idriss Lallmohamed, Zenfan l?Ocean Agalega, Rodrigues Group, Marathi Pop Dance Group and a modern dance show by Andrea and Stellio. The show is expected to end at 11 pm with a fireworks display coming from the sea.

The whole ceremony will be broadcast live on MBCTV as well as on Servihoo website ?to allow people all over the world to see our national celebrations?. You might have already seen TV clips as from yesterday evening to invite the population to the festivities on 12th March. Special arrangements have already been made with the National Transport Authority (NTA) to ensure that all people get home after the show. Transport will run for three hours before and after the ceremony at special rates.

But the ministry of Arts and Culture is not the only department to organise activities. The ministry of Education and Human resources has already launched activities related to the National Holiday in schools with quiz competition, exhibition of paintings, talk on independence or exhibition on History of Mauritius, for instance. All these activities will end on Friday 9th of March with flag-raising ceremonies and a distribution of cakes and juices in all schools.

Bookmarks have also been made for all pupils with a small history of Mauritius, the meaning of the colours on the Mauritian flag and the national anthem printed on them.

On Friday, the ministry of Youth and Sports is organising a carnival for colleges in the streets of Port-Louis that will culminate in a Youth show. Activities are also planned in Social Welfare Centres by the ministry of Social Security and in the 14 Women Centres of the island by the ministry of Women?s rights.

The traditional garden party organised by the president of the Republic, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, at Le Réduit, will take place on 13th March.

CAREER PATH

Clarel Betsy, the Mauritian ambassador in Europe

■ You must certainly know ?Ti Frere? and ?Amélie?, as they are the most famous songs of Clarel Betsy. Since he flew to Paris on his own in 1971 ? he then moved to London ? the Mauritian singer has released not less than eleven albums in France, UK, USA, Brazil, Italy, Belgium, Sweden and Mauritius. During his career abroad, he has had the privilege to meet famous artists such as Paul Mc Cartney, Sylvie Vartan, The Rolling Stones, Cat Stevens or Johnny Hallyday but he has never forgotten his little island! He proved it again yesterday evening when he landed in Mauritius to perform on 12th March.

CAREER PATH

Ardé Williams, the funky ?Rock Chick?

■ She is Mauritian but she left the country and has spent her teen years in Johannesburg. She is now 20 and is ?holding on to everything I?ve ever lived for?. She has spent the last three years and a half touring with the rock band ONE80 and is starting to get famous in South Africa. Last year, she returned to Mauritius after being invited by the minister of Tourism, Xavier-Luc Duval, to shoot her music video on the island. And she is back again for the National Day celebrations?