Mozambique, Madagascar, the Union of the Comoros, and Mauritius have more in common than just the waters of the Indian Ocean. Together, they share a series of narratives, cultural practices, and traditions. This can be understood in the episodes of a series of podcasts produced by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), which delves deeply into the intangible cultural heritage of these countries.

The content was collected in 2024 and in 2025 the stories, narrated as facts or myths, are now available to the public, along with analyses by researchers.

So far, the first series of ten (10) podcasts is available on topics covering cultural rituals such as Famadihana (Madagascar) or Waujo (Union of the Comoros). The podcasts also focus on cultural expressions from regions such as Sega (Mauritius) or Nondje (Mozambique).

According to the IOC, in addition to these expressions, these podcasts are an opportunity to discover the origins of our intangible cultural heritage, particularly with the involvement of researchers, women who are bearers of traditions, and populations.

“These radio creations are, above all, a way of reappropriating our histories, our values, and our cultural and plural identities,” says the IOC, which explains that the content is part of its regional project for the development of cultural and creative industries (CCI) in the Indian Ocean.

The content can be accessed here.

Written by: Eduardo Quive