Zaya has a story, a father, a challenge. The young girl comes from a volcanic archipelago between Madagascar and the African coast, which we know so little about, Mayotte. She studies communication in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne), but her roots are deeply rooted in this land of the Indian Ocean. And for good reason: his father, the singer Lathéral, sometimes nicknamed “the Johnny Hallyday of Mayotte”, is an icon there, a renovator of traditional music.
There everyone knows mgodro mrengué, these rhythms of the island that have been mixed with reggae or merengue for 25 years. A paternal monument which brings light and also shade to his little one. Zaya Toumbou was entitled to verses about “the daughter of” during the election.
Misses fascinate Mayotte whose population at the same time always finds fault with the competition, in this 95% moderate Muslim culture. The bikini will not pass here, where the swimsuit parade only arouses a flood of criticism. “We had to wear a sarong during the fashion show and also in the official swimsuit photos on Instagram,” confides the winner. That poses no problem for me, it's part of the Miss France spirit. And I want to finally bring back the crown. People would be very happy.”
The Mayotte archipelago has only been participating in the election since 2000. Esthel Née, third runner-up in 2009, has so far obtained the best ranking. Zaya believes in it, even if there are few voters on her island. “I want to seduce the French Overseas Territories and all regions,” hopes the woman who has traveled a lot in the footsteps of her mother, a French teacher in Morocco or Ghana.
Miss Mayotte studies in Toulouse just like Miss Saint-Martin-Saint-Barthélémy: “We were at the same university for two years without ever meeting,” she smiles at her classmate. The student, who has done theater, would like to specialize in communications in the performing arts, and perhaps become a reporter. To write about his father and this Mahorese musical culture, who knows? It might be time to listen to the little music of Mayotte.
