Madagascar music reviews

Valiha is a great Malagasy instrument. It makes a soothing sound that will take the stress out of your busy day. It is a production that you must have if you want an untainted version of Malagasy folkloric songs. Most of the tracks have lyrics, but a few are for your quiet enjoyment. A must buy

This is the weakest of Tarika's albums. The songs discuss deep issues, from the systemic corruption of Madagascar's politicians to France's 1947 use of soldiers from its other African colonies to brutally put down a Madagascar uprising. But all the effort was put into the lyrics, and none into the music. Unless you speak Malagasy, once you've read through the liner notes, what you're left with is a CD of nondescript music. The song "Avelo" is an exception. (I'm not even sure the effort was put into the lyrics--Hanitra Rasoanaivo's liner notes are a lot more compelling than the translations of the lyrics she provides.)

Possibly the best album by this renowned Madagascar ensemble... Their sound is built around the various types of harps and stringed instruments used in Malagasy music; also included are Senegalese and mainland instruments like the kora-- the reason for this is that the album's content is about the rocky colonial-era relationship between Madagascar and Senegal. Apparently 19th-Century colonial authorities used Senegalese troops to supress unrest in Madagascar, playing one ethnic group off another, and singer-songwriter Hanitrarivo Rasoanaivo explores the fallout of that bitter history in her lyrics. Mostly what will be noticed by Northern hemisphere listeners will be the pretty music... nice stuff!

In March 1947, the French government sent troops from Senegal to crush an uprising in its colony of Madgascar. Estimates claim that perhaps as many as 100,000 inhabitants of the world's 4th largest Island were killed in the crushing of this exile. Torture and rape also featured in these brutalities. The Malagasy have never forgiven the Senegalese for these atrocities committed in the name of France. Tarika set out to discover the truth of these brutalities and used this as the central concept of this album (Son egal, literally 'equal sound', is a play on words with the French word for Senegal). The group discovered that although the troops used to crush their up-rising were called Senegalese they were actually from all over Africa. The album is a plea for reconciliation- should former colonies continue to be divided by violence carried out in the name of the coloniser? is it not time to move on? Even if this and other political messages in the album leave you cold, you will find here a superb range of rhythms and melodies. This is African dance music at its best. Some have compared the group to Bob Marley. Although the style is very different from his reggae there are certain similarities in the emphasis on rhythm and also the up-lifting message of the lyrics which are usually a plea for peace and positive thinking. The liner notes of this album translate most of the songs into English and give interesting explanations of all the songs.

Add an extra star if you're a guitar player. This is a compilation of guitar music (predominantly acoustic) by ten guitarists from Madagascar. There are vocals on half the tracks, and sometimes percussion. Some musicians have adapted the sounds of the traditional Madagascar instruments marovany and valiha to guitar. You get Dama Mahaleo, probably the most renowned musician in the country, known for a Merle Travis-like picking style. There is classical guitar from Germain Rakotomavo and Etienne Ramboatiana, and jazzy sounds from Solo Razaf (from Miriam Makeba's band). The two most unique musicians here are the virtuosos Johnny (who plays bass, guitar, and valiha for Tarika Sammy) and D'Gary.

While the CD as a whole is very listenable, unless you're a guitarist yourself, it's going to be more background music than something you pay rapt attention to. The only piece here that I've ever had running through my head after a listen is Solo Razaf's "Paddies". Another reviewer said that the CD booklet includes the guitar tunings for every track--that is not the case for my copy of the CD (he may have confused this with a D'Gary album).

This is one of my favorite CD's. I can set this CD to auto-repeat and let it go for hours before I feel the need to change it. Great acoustic guitar music and interesting vocals.

This CD was, and still is, profoundly influential on me, especially my acoustic guitar playing. I bought the CD a couple of years ago while visiting relatives for Christmas. A CD player wasn't available where I was staying, so I had to make do looking at the booklet and liner notes. Inside was listed the guitar tunings that were used. Without having heard the CD, I decided to try the tunings on an old guitar that was lurking in a corner. MY WHOLE WORLD AND HEART OPENED UP! Right then, I found my voice on guitar. Within half an hour I wrote two instrumental pieces. Returning home a week later, I finally heard this CD and realized how deeply I was touched by this music. All the players on this CD have brought me great joy. A beautiful compilation ranging from sweet, fingerpicked Malagasy guitar to classical influence to etoufee style electric guitar. JOHNNY's solo pieces on electric bass are really cool! This CD is wonderful for blissful late-night listening with the volume low.

If you're a guitar player and into playing technique, add a fourth star. This guy is for real, and it's staggering to learn that until after this album was made, he had never owned a guitar of his own. When Henry Kaiser and David Lindley went to Madagascar with a digital recorder and recorded the "World Out of Time" albums, someone played them a tape of a guitarist who had adapted the styles used for traditional Madagascar instruments to the guitar, and played like a virtuoso despite only picking with his thumb and index finger. Dubbed "the monster guitarist from hell", D'Gary was coaxed to the capital city, Antananarivo, where during the two-week "World Out of Time" sessions, he recorded this entire album. It is all acoustic guitar and vocals, with some occasional percussion. His playing has a dream-like quality. My favorite track is "Anary Tany". This is a pretty good album, but unless you're REALLY into acoustic guitar, it's hard to call it compelling. It makes first-rate background music and would be a nice choice for relaxing late at night or using the computer headphones at work. If you're not a guitar player, I recommend you first see if you can get a hold of the "Horombe" album, which is more accessible, has better production and better songs, and provides D'Gary with a backing band and great harmonies.

I should have reviewed this cd a long time ago, it deserves all the praise that has been bestowed upon it by previous reviewers.

I was recently at Allmusic.com and I decided to see if their reviews of this cd were similar to what mine would be if I wrote one. If I remember correctly they did praise it, but what I remember most is that they compared D'Gary to Ali Farka Toure. Aside from both men being brilliant, Black, and guitarists, there isn't much musical comparison. They play very different musics. I'd consider both men to be a book in their own right, not merely different chapters.

The only way I can begin to describe D'Gary's acoustic guitar playing is that it sounds and feels like a waterfall of love cascading over me. His playing ebbs and flows in waves of beauty. From both the songwriting and playing points of view, he really is a world treasure. He doesn't have the West African tribal-blues rhythms of Toure, and truth be told, D'Gary's music probably is more difficult for some Westerners to grasp than Toure's is, but if you are willing to let go of conventional ways of hearing and thinking about music then Malagasy Guitar will reward you endlessly.

I had to take it out of the CD player in my car for fear it would put me in a trance while driving. I encountered this CD in the Amazon.com interview with Bonnie Raitt who found it deep and profound. It results from a field trip to Madagascar taken by among others, David Lindley, who, I think, used to be a side man for Jackson Browne and others.

D'Gary uses 11 different guitar tunings and the liner notes state that even those musicians who watched him as he played could not replicate his music. The music is extraordinarily fascinating. I particularly recommend the 4th track.

Salegy is a Madagascar dance style with a 12/8 beat accented on the 2nd note in every triplet. Eusebe Jaojoby is known as the "King of Salegy", and the title is deserved. His band Jaojoby makes the best dance music of any Malagasy music I've heard (and I'm up to about 20 CDs). Unlike a lot of the Madagascar bands that have become known in the West, Jaojoby doesn't use traditional instruments--it's guitars, keyboards, and drums. The French-made CD includes a history of Jaojoby and salegy in both English and French, discussions of the songs in French, and the lyrics in Malagasy. My favorite cut is "Tsy Hirenireny", which is sung by Claudine Zafinera. (The track listing has this song and the preceding "Vamba Anao Nomoaly" mixed up.) The production quality is very good. Both this album and (if you can find it) Jaojoby's 1996 album "Salegy!" are highly recommended.

This album came out about four years ago, and these songs are all still in constant rotation on every radio station in Madagascar. You hear them on the bus, in the restaurants, and of course at every party and dance!
The fun of dancing to the irresistable beats of salegy could only be bettered by the emotion in Jaojoby's voice, far and away the best vocalist to come out of Madagascar. Eric Manana's smooth, gentle voice might appeal more to middle-aged Western listeners, but for raw power, nobody beats Jaojoby, and he has more vocal control and ability than any other singer in his country.
A warning to purists: The traditional instruments were replaced by Western ones about 50 years ago in this genre, so there are keyboards, bass, guitars etc. But with the exception of the two slow songs on the album, this is no problem and works beautifully.
Listen to this album and it will make you bounce. =)

Eusebe Jaojoby has been a composer, singer, band leader and undisputed king of 'salegy', Madagascar's most popular dance rhythm, for over twenty years. His latest album is a real gem, combining beautifully interwoven guitars and organ, incredible vocals and a hot hot rhythm section with cristal clear production. Salegy is based on a traditional 6/8 rhythm that is just so infectious it's bound to get you up and dancing!

This album is a big step up over 1997's "Mbo Loza", which had D'Gary rehashing his earlier songwriting and guitar licks. D'Gary grew up in a remote rural area of southern Madagascar, where he taught himself to play guitar. He has a unique, virtuoso sound. But on this CD he has added to that some technique learned from other guitarists that has expanded his musical range. For instance, he would have never come up with the intro to "Resaka Marandray" 5 years ago.

The album is solely guitar, voice, and percussion. Singer/percussionists Rataza and Xavier-Martial Francois are still on board, though they only get to play on about half the tracks. Three of the best cuts ("Bobo-drano", "Politikinao Nahoda", "Fatiky Maiky") are instrumentals, with fiery playing by D'Gary and guest Nantha Kumar on tablas. The latter two tracks are the only ones where D'Gary plays electric guitar. The best of the songs with vocals are "Resaka Marandray" with Francois singing lead, and the gentle "Samby Lomay". Occasionally a riff is reminiscent of the "Horombe" album; for instance, "Politikinao Nahoda" has hints of "Zay Gny Raha" in it.

I still miss D'Gary's band Jihe, where the addition of bass and a drum set gave him a big sound. But this album has a good sound to it (it's amazing how much help a little reverb can add). Anyone who enjoys Madagascar music or great guitar playing should check this CD out.

Those who have followed this artist know his earliest solo-oriented work,
through his large ensemble arrangements to what is a return to an earlier simplicity. It's not quite a return to old form, the years have added
experience and exposure to new techniques which manifest here to fine
effect. His guitar style is essentially of very fast runs and arpeggios that
he makes seem (and sound) easy, and as a result, one does hear strains of familiarity in his work. Not unlike the type of continuity one hears in John Fahey or Leo Kottke records.

In this case, the arrangements hinge again on his guitar, with his vocal
and excellent harmonies and additional vocals by Rataza. The guitar tone is more evocative due to the use of a nylon string type, and in two of the cuts, he uses an electric (which he plays more like a wind instrument in approach, with no note bending and a distortion level almost warm in tone).

The change in the rhythm section is apparent, with the addition on some tracks of Indian percussion, and in another, a conga played in non-Latin style. This ensures that the rhythms are supple, and add texture to the music as opposed to pure pulse (which I think is better suited to horn
or other forms of guitar music).

Not so apparent, but important, is the change in guitar tone. In one cut, for example, he employs rapid harmonics, not unlike a Hawaiian guitarist, and in another, octaves, which give the music a 12-string guitar effect. Very well done, and evocative beyond any hint of mere gimmicry.

Personally, I feel that way too many African artists take the obvious route of adding lots of instruments and heavy beats. Understandable, as it adds appeal to more listeners, but D'Gary's style often benefits from subtraction. His guitar work is technically extraordinary and very evocative, even to listeners not familiar with African music. His vocals are as moving as any blues singer I've ever heard, and few artists do
as well in using space as he does. The music is often stark compared
to larger scale bands, but there's a lot of beauty and emotion instead
of sheen and volume.

I'm a fan of this artist, and can't claim to be unbiased. However, this
CD left my jaw hanging at times at how beautiful. The electric work
might be a matter of taste, but a good
reference would be that it is somewhat similar to Fred Neil's Raga in
tone, but better executed.

This is one of the best African CDs I've heard this year.

This album is more acoustic and quiet than "Fanafody", but is still rewarding. Sammy and his cousin Tiana play a variety of native Madagascar instruments, such as the valiha (a zither strung along the outer length of a bamboo tube), marovany (a zither with strings along both sides of a thin rectangular box), kabosy (a small guitar with fretting that allows only the pentatonic scale), and jejy voatavo (a large, hollowed gourd with a fretboard attached). Lead singer Claudia has a phenomenal voice. And Johnny is simply one of the best bass players in the world, in any genre; for those who've listened to other Malagasy music, he's the D'Gary of the bass. "Tsarovy" in particular is a highlight.

this album is TRULY beautiful- and the instrumentation is so simple, i like that- it's kind of like a cool, careless breeze, yet you know the music is so tightly bound together- this group really knows the meaning of solidarity...i am intrigued by madagascar as of late, and have found out its inhabitants trace their routes back to africa as well as indonesia...all so enchanting...and it's true, the lead singer of this group has a beautiful beautiful voice- very feminine and full of energy, which blends in well with the rest of the male harmonies, and the acoustic setting makes for a nice, relaxing, almost lullaby-type of album...very nice....listen to this one on a hammock, or in a cabanna..i can almost hear the ocean breeze ;)

This Group had traveled all over the world to promote Malagasy music. They tried to stay true to the music and beat of the region that they came from. Most of their songs have a southern influence but it is very nice. They use valiha almost every song and I appreciate the great talents of the group.

Tarika Sammy was one of the finest bands to be highlighted on the Kaiser-Lindley "World Out of Time" compilations of music from Madagascar. After that, leader Sammy and his cousin Tiana teamed with a pair of singing sisters in a lineup that toured internationally. The two pairs had differing musical temperaments and soon split up, with the sisters forming their own band as "Tarika". (Tarika is the Malagasy word for band or group.) While both groups have continued to record great music, this album is better than anything either has done since. Sammy and Tiana bring a melodic sense that Tarika lacks, while Hanitra and Noro favor propulsive rhythms lacking on other Tarika Sammy recordings. The singing is joyous, and the songs are memorable. The music has a more acoustic, lighter feel than most music coming from Africa. Many of the instruments used are native to Madagascar--valiha and marovany (zithers with a harp-like sound), kabosy (a small guitar with frets that don't extend across the entire neckboard), jejy voatovo (a large, hollowed gourd with a fretboard attached)--and all of these are highlighted on one song or another. The guest stars are surprising: bass and drums are supplied by members of 3 Mustaphas, Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull supplies slide guitar on one song, and John Kirkpatrick (a Richard Thompson cohort) concertina on two others. Highlights include "Fanafody", "Zanahary", and "Sarek' Ela".

This French album isn't recorded as well, and doesn't show Rossy off to such good effect, as "One Eye on the Future, One Eye on the Past". But a mediocre recording of Rossy is as good as practically any band on Earth. Rossy is my favorite band from Madagascar (and yes, that IS saying a lot), combining electric and traditional instrumentation and sounds. Highlights include "Papa Mandela", "Avela Ho Avy", and "Vakisoava". "Ambilanao Zaho" is one of my favorite Malagasy songs, though the version on the first Kaiser-Lindley "World Out of Time" compilation is better. "Any Imalala" is a lovely ballad, though Rossy's singing is a bit hoarse and off-key on it. The song "Madagasikara" on this album is a different song than the one of the same name on the "Island of Ghosts" album. My copy of the CD has the songs "Ambilanao Zaho" and "Papa Mandela" reversed from their order on the track listing.

Hello, it is me again... I like this CD from Rossy because it gave me the tracks I had been looking for but could not find. Papa Mandela is a nice song, trying to give a moral support to the fight against Apartheid in South Africa... Any Malala is my favorite, which states that the man had to go afar to earn a living and work hard and writes to his darling a love letter. After a while she can't take him being away for so long and wanted to break up. He left his job at once to get her because he knew she still love him. Lehilahy Mahery has a Southern Madagascar accent to it, with a nice vocals. Be ready to get your Lefona out. Avela Ho Avy is a typical Rossy tune, which basically translates to: Let whatever happens, happens. It is a care free attitude that mocks hasty and worried lifestyle. Instead, he suggests that we sing as troubles come and it will go away sometime soon. Marary Africa is a song that exposes the problem of Africa and the possible solution: the return of the smart Africans to their homeland. It has a hopefull end that Africa will be free one day. Soa Fa Nisy Anareo is a song that celebrate friendship and states that it is great that Rossy had friends to support him during the good and bad times. Raha Manina is also a favorite for me which invites fans to gather around where the party/concert is going to be and have fun and warns foes that the group is as fierce as a Jabanero if you wanted to be their enemy ( this is a Malagasy Hainteny or oration, so don't take it literally.)

agascar. I liked this Cd because you have a variety of artists and you get many different styles in one CD. The music is typical of the high land for the most part. Pleasing to the ear, valiha is ever present in this Cd. This Cd is for people who wants to know what it would be like to hear Madagascar Radio right now.

These catchy tracks on Volume 2 showcase modern Malagasy pop (as opposed to Vol. One which deals with folk and traditional types of music) of mainly the Merina culture of the highlands and the Betsimisaraka of the east coast. Rivaling the island's exotic fauna - like those cuddlesome lemurs - is its music, where one soon encounters the compelling sounds of the valiha and the kabusy: both stringed instruments with acoustic and electric models. Malagasy music has integrated influences as diverse as South African mbaqanga and pop, benga from Kenya, soukous/rhumba from Francophone Africa and sega from the Indian Ocean islands. Rossy and Tarika Sammy, both represented twice, are the most determined pursuers of an integrated Malagsy sound; the latter's magical Aza Mba Manary Tuky displays strong undercurrents of country and western. Tutuy Tzara by Ny Sakelidalana is a tremulous, poliharmonic doowop number backed by acoustic guitar, bass and valiha, whilst Sarutra by Les Smockers represent a proud marriage of Congolese and Township - a style known as Sigauma. What a display of vigor and diversity! An hour or so with such intricate rhythms and delicate harmonies in this resonant Polynesian language can be a vertiginous experience.