Artist.......: VA
Album........: The Rough Guide To The Music Of Madagascar
Label........: World Music Network
Genre........: Ethnic
Catnr........: 1163
source.......: CDDA
rip.date.....: Sep-25-2006
str.date.....: Sep-27-2005
quality......: VBR/44,1Hz/Joint-Stereo
Url..........: n/a
track title time
01. jaojoby-tsy zanaka mpanarivo 04:45
02. ny antsaly-kokafoka 02:12
03. vakoko-era 03:49
04. hazolahy-ka mipoerapoera 04:14
05. toto mwandjani-ankitiny 04:45
06. monja-gasy mahay mihano 04:37
07. tarika-aloka 04:49
08. vilon androy-tolombolagne 04:06
09. mahaleo-tadidiko ry zalahy 05:02
10. d'gary-zaza somondrara 04:17
11. koezy-andesy moramora 04:16
12. rajery-mahafinaritra 03:42
13. teta-mbola tiako anao 03:48
14. daniel tombo-taraka 04:27
15. ny sakelidalana-solofaka 03:25
16. regis gizavo-eka lahy 03:26
Runtime 65:40 min
Size 97,7 MB
Release Notes:
Madagascar, the world's fourth largest island, has
incredible ethnic diversity and rich history. The
Rough Guide To The Music Of Madagascar features
music across the broad Malagasy spectrum û from the
islandÆs spicy dance music to the purest music from
the highlands. Featuring the valiha (a tubular
bamboo zither) and lokanga (three-stringed fiddle),
among other instruments specific to the island,
this album explores the diverse Malagasy culture
that has been influenced by Arab, Persian, Chinese,
Indian and European societies over the years.
In 2001, Tarika were voted by Time magazine as one
of the world's ten best bands. Led by Hanitra
Rasoanaivo, they formed in 1994 and left Madagascar
as an unknown new band developing a unique mix of
roots music and instruments. Their live act and
hard-hitting songs were honed to perfection with
extensive touring and, by the late 1990s, they had
become huge stars back home.
Songwriter Hanitra has more recently been involved
in the project entitled Vakoka, which gathered
together musicians, writers and singers from all
over the island in hothouse collaborative sessions
in the capital Antananarivo. The resulting album
was released in 2004 and `Era' also features
percussionist Pana and the extraordinary guitarist
Haja and his bassist brother Fanaiky.
The mighty king of salegy (a driving 6/8 electric
dance band music), Jaojoby's live band, which
features a number of his grown-up children
including his son on lead guitar, can rival most
outfits from mainland Africa for energy, drive and
tight groove.
If Jaojoby is the king of salegy, the Toto
Mwandjani is the master of dombolo. A talented
guitarist, he played with many contemporary acts
before releasing his own hit album Malemylemy, in
2001. His band fuses the local dombolo, salegy and
malesa with East African, Congolese and even
touches of zouk styles.
Madagascar's best accordion player, RΘgis Gizavo
won Radio France International's Decouvertes and
emigrated in 1990, where he worked with Manu
Dibango and Ray Lema before finally launching his
solo career.
Tarika have influenced many bands to combine
tradition and modernity and there are now plenty of
groups following this model, such as the excellent
one led by hard-working valiha virtuoso Rajery.
The valiha is Madagascar's best-known traditional
instrument (a tubular zither made from
drainpipe-diameter bamboo with around twenty-one
strings) and this album also features the late,
great valiha virtuoso Sylvestre Randafison from
Ny Antsaly. Ny Antsaly became the island's first
traveling musical ambassadors in the 1950s and
1960s, playing
in exotic locations for the crowned heads of Europe
and this is their first ever appearance on CD.
Guitarist D'Gary is a stunning player who has
evolved a complex style based on the sound of the
marovany and
the lokanga, and many consider that he surpasses
most mainland African acoustic guitar greats.
Led by big bass mandoliny (a small guitar also
known as kabosy) player, Thominot Andrianjafy,
Hazolahy have taken driving kabosy band street
sounds and local dances and pumped them up with
percussion, other local traditional
instruments and tight vocal harmonies into an
exciting relentless style.
Another Vakoka musician, marovany (a wooden box
with two sets of strings on opposing sides) player
Monja traveled widely playing sacred music for
tromba (spirit exorcism) ceremonies before settling
in Antananarivo.
An additional marovany player, Daniel Tombo's
multi-talented group, Troupe Valiha, demonstrate
the super-fast proto-rap jijy vocal style on
`Taraka'.
Centered around the virtuoso lokanga playing of
Surgi, Vilon'Androy use typical harmonies and the
pattering, fast stepping
rhythms that imitate the sound of the running feet
of the notorious maleso cattle rustlers.
The Rough Guide To The Music Of Madagascar also
features Teta, one of the best current tsapiky
guitarists, Ny
Sakelidalana, a veteran group who perform in kalon
ny fahiny style, Mahaleo, who fuse Western soft
rock with
Malagasy traditions, and Koezy, five young dynamic
women from Sakalava.