Madagascar is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean, southeast of Africa.
Madagascar is a cultural melting pot due to the countless number of people who passed through the island during their migrations (Arabs, Indians, Indonesians, Africans and Europeans).
Traditional Malagasy Music
Tsireko is especially performed during the funeral rites of the most venerable elders of a village.
Antsabe is the song that is sung during traditional Malagasy circumcisions and marriages and is also played on the Malagasy national day.
Sery Hazolahy are the dancers and singers (sery) that play the drums (hazolahy), which are sacred and only played during the funerals, or doby, of the wealthiest and most respected villagers.
Salegy appeared in Madagascar as a fast-paced local dance music based on 6/8 and 12/8 rhythms. By the 1960s, radio was broadcasting new sounds from the Congo, Mozambique, South Africa and Kenya. Jean Francois de Comarmond’s Discomad label supported a new generation of who fused traditional and modern music, with electric instruments replacing the traditional ones.
The strong call-and-response dialogues, rich vocal choruses and rolling triplet feel in the rhythm sections all boasted a unique Malagasy sensibility and singles started selling tens of thousands of copies, matching any foreign music at the time.
Local pop was sometimes called tapany maintso (half-green), a reference to the stickers on singles from the other essential record label in Madagascar, Kaïamba, many of them produced by Charles Maurin Poty whose work was crucial in shaping the emerging genre. (source: Strut Records)
Malagasy Musicians:
D’Gary
Jaojoby
Justin Vali
Kilema
Madagascar Slim
Mama Sana
Njava
Rajery
Razia Said
Regis Gizavo
Ricky Randimbiarison
Tarika
Tiharea
Vakoka
