Madagascar music reviews

People associate New Age music with synth-heavy,repetitive tunes a la Yanni&Enya.Not so with this album. It's too bad that it's currently out of print and no longer in Putumayo's catalogue.It's also proof you CAN judge a CD by its cover.It has beautiful album art to match its beautiful music.

This is a soothing CD,perfect for meditation,yoga,relaxation.This is also one of Putumayo's best.

Highlights-
1)Midal-An unusual,hypnotic song from Papua New Guinea.Very primal and lovely.
2)Mais Filhos de Gandhi-A brilliant combination of Indian classical music with Brazilian bossa nova.It's from the great album "Bossa Nova Delhi."
3)Makola-A lovely song from Guinea.Very bluesy.
4)To a Beloved-Blends Western "smooth jazz" with Indian classical music.It's from the wonderful CD "Anahita."
5)Arica-A fun little instrumental.From Big Sur,of all places.
6)Tautai e-A beautiful chant from New Zealand.
7)Elepaio Slack Key-Elegant Hawaiian slack guitar from Keola Beamer.
8)Happiness is...-A song about true happiness from a wonderful Tibetan singer.

This album is 5 years old,and it's gotten better with age.If you're tired of John Tesh,Yanni and Enya,this is perfect for you!It's from paradises around the world.

I picked up a copy of "Gardens of Eden" for ...(very little). I couldn't resist the price and the countries represented: Hawaii, New Zealand, Tibet, India, Brazil. I had not heard of the majority of the artists but all offered traditional music from their homelands.

I especially liked "Mais Filhos de Gandhi," which blended Brazilian rhythms with classical Indian music, and "Happiness Is" by Tibetan songbird Yungchen Lhamo, which blends guitar, fiddle, whistles, and ethereal vocals, sounding at first more like Celtic music, but is achingly beautiful, with a message of finding a path and following it.

All in all this is an excellent, affordable compliation that represents artists from lesser-known musical countries: Guinea, Madagascar, the California wilderness of Big Sur, New Zealand, and Tibet. Very beautiful songs take you away to different visions of the Garden of Eden: lush, tropical sonic paradises to enjoy after a hectic day.

No matter what Garden of Eden you have in mind, this is the music to take you there.

We were traveling down Rt. 1 in California and stopped in Big Sur. At one of the local shops, I heard the ever familiar Putumayo music and fell into a conversation with the store owner over our mutual appreciation for the Putumayo label. She then brought to my attention that her group was featured on Gardens of Eden. Naturally, we bought it.

The next day, when traveling through the misted mountain road, we were entralled by the way the music somehow choregraphed the scenery - or was it the other way around? All I know is that I will forever remember driving in the convertible, rounding each bend to music that swept away all of our cares and concerns.

I highly recommend this disk.

I just wanted to add to the glowing praise for this disc - Pontius Copilot is my new all-time favorite band! They've got a great kind of superchunky-treepeople-pavement groove going on with an extra, unique touch of southern Skynard special sauce that I just can't get enough of.

And the great band name is just free whipped cream on this already indulgent indie rock dilly bar. Buy it now!

Few words can describe what this album, and this band's future, means to rock and roll. The album itself is a tight set of songs that are among the most original and well-written tunes around. Pontius Copilot is proof that the college music scene still has tommorrow's stars today. Buy this album, and impress your friends four years from now when Pontius is a household name.

I work at a indie college radio station and this CD landed on my playlist one day and knocked my socks off! Every song is a catchy romp through the days of Pavement and Weezer. Pontius Copilot deserves far more exposure than that available in poorly funded backwoods university radio stations! Give em some love!

I have owned this CD since the year that it came out - over a decade ago now. Yet again and again when it goes into my player I hear something new. More often than not it makes me stop what I am doing and listen, eyes closed, to something beautiful I have never noticed before. This innovative and varied collection gets better and better with each listen.

Ethnomusicology suffers from one of the diseases of Western science... the idea that you can, and *should*, observe without contact. They go out with the best intentions, do their field recordings of genuine peasants, and go home, with no more emotional contact than a hooker and a john.

This album (and others from the World out of Time and Sweet Sunny North series) is different. Henry Kaiser and David Lindley aren't scientists - they're musicians, adventurous ones with profoundly personal styles and great ears. They don't just record the proceedings, they participate as well. But they don't just use ethnic musicians as spices for their own recipes, a la Paul Simon or David Byrne. Instead, they adapt themselves to the local music - or stay out of it altogether, when appropriate. I have never heard a field recording with so much *respect* for the musicians being recorded, much less such excellent taste.

When i got this album a few years ago, i called it the best album i bought that entire year. It might just be the best album i've bought since then.

This is the album that started it all, that brought dozens of Madagascar musicians to Western attention. Guitarists Kaiser and Lindley brought a digital recording deck to Madagascar and spent two weeks recording as many top musicians as possible, sometimes joining in with them. They recorded five full CDs, including the first two "World Out of Time" compilations. This one is easily the best of the three CDs in the series (it got way more of the 'A' material than Volume 2.) Almost every track is a gem, ranging from true revelations to the merely very good. My favorites are Tarika Sammy's "Hana", a Malagasy translation of an Okinawan pop song (probably Kaiser's idea) with phenomenal singing and great kabosy playing, and Rossy's rocking "Ambilanao Zaho". There is dance music from Roger Georges, folk from Dama Mahaleo (perhaps the most famous Malagasy musician), valiha music (a native instrument, a tubular zither) from Sylvestre Randafison, Tovo, and Voninavoko, blues from the 70-year-old flute player Rakoto Frah, virtuoso guitar playing from D'Gary, and a closing cover of "I Fought the Law" from Rossy. The only track that's hard to take is by Mama Sana, an elderly woman who sings in the Malagasy equivalent of a very raw blues style. Following the success of this album, many of these artists got the chance to release their own albums in the U.S. Sadly, everyone seems to have now moved on to the next big world music thing, and no Malagasy band except Tarika (a Tarika Sammy spinoff) gets their albums released here anymore. If you like this album (and you will), check out anything you can find by Rossy, Tarika Sammy, or Mahaleo.

I clearly remember the first time I saw R�gis Gizavo and from then on I could call myself a 'fan'. It was a Sunday morning back in 1999 when I watched a Dutch TV program on VPRO called 'Reiziger in muziek', hosted by Han Reiziger. I saw R�gis performing together with Lamereignas (probably misspelled here) and some others, and it was... incredible! This man can play music! Better: HE IS MUSIC! I was lucky I could tape his second song 'Malaso' on VCR then, and I bought Mikea a few days later on Amazon.com. Since then my world and my perception of music has changed dramatically. About a year ago I bought R�gis latest release 'Samy olembelo', which is even better. R�gis has the ability to combine traditional music with pop, jazz, cajun and other styles of music. Furthermore he is capable of setting up 'right from the heart live performances' as he showed last Tuesday, March 25, 2003 in Vredenburg, Utrecht (Netherlands) together with the group Tiharea (I also highly recommend their latest album on which R�gis also plays on a couple of songs). If you like good music, check out R�gis Gizavo's albums and try to catch him at one of his gigs. I bet he will catch you right in your heart!

i saw regis in new orleans (twice) at the jazz fess this year and was completely captivated. he IS the music. the cd is terrific and does a great job of capturing his feeling. regis is a cross between early baaba maal,nursat, and zydeco. please encourage him to make a live recording.

A great CD by a young virtuoso accordianist from Madagascar. In his native country, accordian music is used to create trances as part of religious and healing ceremonies.

Very strong technique, but the feeling in the music is what makes the CD stand out. The first time I heard it, I had to pull the car to the side of the road to listen. Try this CD and you'll be enchanted by it!

This album typifies the best of WORLD MUSIC FUSION. Cultural and linguistic boundaries are crossed, intertwained, and revamped. Exotic yet familiar, peaceful yet jubilant....this CD aims to please all audiences! (And does so very successfully!) This CD is a wonderful addition to any musical library appealling to the highly trained instrumentalist to the most earnest lover of music appreciation. I highly recommended without any reservation.

My copy of this CD came with a sticker stating that Time Magazine has called Tarika one of the ten best bands on Earth. Well that's cool but you'd have to be familiar with every single band in the world to make a statement like that. But accolades like that are indeed reasonable for this excellent band from Madagascar, who start with a foundation of traditional African music, but have added a plethora of intriguing ingredients from around the world. This is true "world" music. And I don't mean the music industry's simple definition of the term - which basically means anything non-Western. The concept behind this album is the cultural connections between the peoples of Madagascar and Indonesia, which have been much researched by group leader Hanitra. Therefore a seamless fusion of African and Asian sounds makes up the foundation of this album. The Asian influences are especially pronounced in "Koba" (which has killer vocal harmonies) and "Set Me Free." But there are other surprise flavors throughout this disc, including a surprising Country & Western influence in "Tovovavy" (I understand that C&W is actually popular in Madagascar); plus a remake of "Be My Baby," known here as "Malalako," which is sung in three different languages. The sinister closer "Madindo" shows a clear Middle Eastern (especially Moroccan) influence, with even a hint of reggae in the rhythm. This is pure musicianship at its best, from a band that clearly has vast knowledge both of their own African music traditions plus other sounds from around the world. As an added bonus, check out the fascinating liner notes about the Madagascar-Indonesia connection.

Madagascar was originally settled about 1,500 years ago by Indonesians. In 1999, the Madagascar band Tarika's leader Hanitra Rasoanaivo visited Indonesia and found the roots of a lot of Malagasy traditions. On this resulting album, Tarika gets together with several Indonesian musicians to explore their common musical roots.

But that's not what makes this Tarika's best album to date. Their songwriting has made a huge leap forward here. For the first time, their melodies and arrangements are as strong as their rhythmic sense. The songs "Koba", "Allo Cheri", "Baraka", "Set Me Free", "Aretina", the ballad "Ela", and "Sekta" are all drop dead gorgeous. The band uses many instruments native to Madagascar; the harp-like sounds of the valiha and marovany give an ethereal quality to the music. This album has all the stuff I love about the best Malagasy music. While Tarika often writes about serious subjects, this won't mean much to those who don't speak Malagasy. The music is joyous--I defy you to tell which song is about cultural imperialism and which is about rice pudding without referring to the liner notes. The album includes a cover of the Ronettes' "Be My Baby", with verses in English, French, and Malagasy. The production, by Sabah Habas Mustapha, is flawless. As usual, mentor Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull fame) contributes some liner notes and a slide guitar cameo.

I have maybe 25 CDs of music from the continent, and this is still far and away my favorite. The one-disc "sampler" is like a "Best of..." -- very good, but as many listeners will know from first hand experience, some of the finer, and more subtle pieces are in the original complete recordings. True here in spades. If you only own one set of discs to represent Africa and all its nations and sounds, this is it.

If you're interested in listening to some African music and don't know where to start, you can't do better than this. It's got modern and traditional stuff on it -- mostly modern -- from all over the continent. My tapes of this set live in my cassette road case, and I listen to them when I go on long trips. The variety and quality are both excellent.

The booklet's a nice touch, too.

The Kaiser-Lindley "World Out of Time" series got me into the music of Madagascar in a big way. By now, I've got over 20 CDs of Malagasy music, several of which are excellent. Of them all, this one is definitely my favorite. Tarika Rossy (Rossy's Band) combines electric and acoustic instruments, including native instruments like the valiha (a tubular zither with a harp-like sound--the CD cover shows Rossy holding one) and kabosy (a small guitar with unique fretting), and combines musical influences from the various tribes of Madagascar.

This album covers a great range of styles, from dance beats to gentle ballads ("Ny Any Aminay") to an old-fashioned Malagasy theatrical style ("Faraniaina") while making it all seem part of a seamless whole. "Molia", a fast dance sung by Josephine (everyone in Malagasy music seems to go by a first name or nickname, because their full names are so long), "Mangina Zaza", with its alternating dance beat and lullabye interludes, and the martial beat of "Ramasy" are particular favorites; "Zana Drazana", "Tanalahy", "Anamalao", and "Sira Sira" are also highlights.

Rossy is great in this CD. Zana-drazana is a great dance song relating to the great tradition of circumcision in Madagascar, as well of that of Famadihana. It tells you in the song what they actually do before, during and after the ceremonies. Tanalahy talks about a politician who changes his political affiliation as often as the power shifts in politically unstable Madagascar. If you followed the Malagasy Politics, you would know of whom this song is about. Anamalao is a nice upbeat music.

Misy Goika is a marriage song which asks the blessings of the parents ( an important step for the Malagasy for ny tso-drano zava-mahery) Faraniaina is also a marriage blessing in which the Bride's father bless the newly wed couple to have all that they want in the marriage and gives them advice on how to rekindle that love again and again. Mangina Zaza is my Mother's favorite, she cannot stop laughing when this song plays on the radio in Madagascar. I do not know why ( ask her) but it is a story a father stuck with a crying baby and tries to calm the baby down so he can go to work. Supposedly, the baby wants a sibling also by assuming a specific pose ( mitsongoloka ialahy: mila zandry) and the father says, that would be very easy to do but he wants to wait until he has the money to raise another baby. Raha Tanora is a advice to youth about life in the traditional Hiragasy tune. Mandry Ve is an old song which invites the people of the town to get out of bed and party all night. Everybody had to come since the villagers will not let you rest until you came out. Sira Sira and Oay Lahy are favorites in this CD... They make me cry. They are old old songs from the Kingdom era and makes you very sad if you are way from your family.

i didn't really know what to expect from this cd when i bought it, except that i really like the rough guide series, and i could be reimbursed for it (i work in a travel store). an easy risk. what a shock when i listened to it! from the first track i knew it was going to be special. the influences are just fantastic, there doesn't seem to be any one major category to place it in. Warm, jazzy, afro-cuban, bold, all across the board. i would definitely recommend this. needless to say it never made it to my work, this one's a keeper...

Well the Rough Guide compilers have done it again...for those of you familiar with the Rough Guide series and who are devoted fans, I don't have to convince you of the incomparable quality of these compilations.

For all the rest of you, this CD will prove my point. It captures forms of music from the Indian Ocean which are little known in the West, and is real treat, combining lilting and highly distinctive melodies with wonderful rocking rhythms evoking the Indian Ocean waves, steeped in history (as the jacket notes point out) from thousands of years of ships and cultures crisscrossing its waters.

On this CD, you'll find the sweet melodies of Malagasy country music, soulful subtle blues of the Reunion Islands, Arabic spice from Zanzibar, Mauritian reggae, Seychelles polkas and folk/electronica fusion from the Comoros Islands. Sounds intriguing? Just wait until you hear it.

Personal favorites include the magnificent opening track "Koba" from Madagascar, "Sak la Point" from La Reunion, "Sense" from Mauritius and the pounding upbeat closing track "Mamandrako".

If you're a jaded world music listener who thinks they've heard it all, then this CD is an absolute must to revive your faith in the beauty of music; really, it's a must for just about anyone.

Incomplete. What else can I say? This is a good mix, and a good cd, but the title is Islands. So, why not throw something a little more exotic into the mix? Cuba and Hawaii are predictable, but what about music from the Azores? What about the Madeira Islands? A little Luis Bettencourt, some Jose Medeiros, or Katia Guerreiro and this cd would have been a whole lot better!!!

"Danca ma mi Criola" is a bouncy love song."Me ki sa oule" is a lilting song of longing."Bomba traigo yo" is joyfully infectious.The BEST songs are "Falso Testemunho" from Cape Verde&"Veinte anos" from Cuba.Both these songs are about unrequited love&betrayal.For popular songs,they are moving."Sonegaly" is an enchanting song from Madagascar.Tarika hasn't been as good since."E I Taurua"&"Olinda Road" are magical songs from Tahiti&Hawaii.

D'Gary&Jihe from Madagascar as well as Quito Rymer from Tortola aren't quite so good.Interesting sidenote-Rymer's "Mix up world" is one of the themes for Putumayo's World Music Hour.Oh well.

This is still a good album."South Pacific Islands" is EVEN BETTER."Islands" has held up for a good 9 yrs since its release.No wonder it's still in print.How many pop albums last that long???

My whole family loves this CD. My 2 year old daughter dances up a storm and my 4 year old son puts on his jolly roger do-rag and swashbuckles about. A little mellower and less adventurous, musically, than similar compilations, but the quality is higher throughout.

The group Feo-Gasy showcases some of the brightest talents in Malagasy music. Rakoto Frah was the greatest sodina (traditional end-blown flute) player in Madagascar. He passed away a very old man in 2001 and the country went into mourning for days. Eric Manana, who has been very successful as a solo artist, is a musical virtuoso and contributes his songwriting and voice in addition to the guitar he is so famous for. Everyone is in top form on this disc. This is highlands music, with a tendancy toward the mellow, and while it doesn't capture the energy possible in valiha music (such as Justin Vali's Ny Marina album), it is nuanced, beautiful and unique. Well worth a listen

To help you awaken to the complex simplicity of music from Madagascar, I recommend the David Lindley & David Kaiser CD: "A World Out Of Time" and any of its sequels and spin-offs. You'll be glad you listened.

This is the CD that first interested me in the music of Madagascar. I have since found much more to appreciate about this diverse land and its people. The music has a folksy feel, the rhythms are tight, and the harmonies lush and beautiful. On first listening, I found intonation a little loose for my Western ears. Later, as I was drawn back again and again, it was hardly an issue. This is a "must" for anyone interested in exploring the richness of African music.