International acts visiting Mumbai are a dime a dozen these days. Some of them play music with an electronic bent, others are rock stars capitalising on faded popularity, a few are contemporary giants such as Coldplay, and the rest are niche acts that fit into an experimental mould. This weekend, though, will feature a band from a rather unusual destination — Reunion Island — play a brand of music — world dub — that Mumbaikars rarely get to experience. The outfit sings in French and Creole, and its name is Grèn Sémé.

We catch up with the vocalist and front man, Carlo De Sacco, over email to find out more about the music from the island, which is still controlled by the French. He explains that traditional Reunionese songs owe their origins to the period in the 19th century when France abolished slavery. "This music has its roots in many cultures including African, Malagasy and Indian. Indians arrived on Reunion Island (located in the Indian Ocean) through a voluntary movement called 'engagisme' to work after the slavery period.