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Unit 5
Activity 8: Reading for pleasure and appreciation.
Activity 8a: Read the text and carry out the activity that follows.
José Thérèse lived ten years in Denmark, studying
music and working. He came back to Mauritius
on holiday in February 1996. He was shocked to
see many children walking about in the streets of
Cité Roche Bois. These children had left school
as they had not passed the CPE exams. Some
of them were smoking, stealing, and taking drugs.
José Thérèse did not return to Denmark but stayed
back to help these children. He wanted to give
them hope and make their lives better through music. He taught them to play the saxophone so
that they could earn their living* by becoming musicians. José Thérèse also opened a music
school with the support of some social workers* and musician friends. He named it the Mo’zar
workshop. There, students learnt to compose music, write songs or play an intrument. They
even took the exams set by the Royal School of Music in England.
Today, the Mo’zar workshop is open to young people from all over the island. Many children
from the Mo’zar Workshop have become musicians. They work in hotels or studios*, or they
perform on stage. Many have represented Mauritius in international music festivals. Some of
José Thérèse’s students even work abroad in hotels or orchestras*. José Thérèse’s message
to his students was that they could all succeed in life.
José Thérèse received the Oscar of Youth Award in 1998 and was voted Most Outstanding
Person in 2000. Sadly, he is no longer alive today but he is still considered to be an artist with a big
heart. He will always remain in the heart of the children whose lives have become better thanks
to him.
José Thérèse
Glossary
• earn their living: get a job
• social workers: people who help others without asking for payment
• studios: rooms where artists work
• orchestras: groups of musicians who perform together