Madagascar Radio Show
This show went out live on Noods Radio in Bristol, a great platform and much closer to home after moving to Frome in Somerset! It’s a shorter show than the usual two hours because Noods has a very busy schedule so I could only grab an hour on their airwaves…
Madagascar in an amazing country where I spent three months during my ‘gap ya’ at the tender age of nineteen. Most of the time I was near Tulear in the South West of the country, traveled around the North West as well as as spending some time in the capital Antananarivo (or ‘Tana’). I remember visiting the Zaza Club in Toliara and loving the vibe with super fast, high energy music.
One of the things that stood out to me while making the show was the quality and depth of the guitar music. They have some incredible distinctive styles, and some super talented guitar players. One of the styles from the Tulear region is called Tsapicky (pronounced ‘Tsapik’), which directly translated means mosquito. Tsapiky is inspired by traditional Marovany and South African township music. Check out the tracks by the brilliant D’Gary and Teta to get a feel for the style.
Another prominent genre in Malagasy music is Selegy - it’s a style which draws on historical influences from Sub-Saharan African folk music. Check out the track from Jaojaby, who has the nickname the ‘King of Selegy’!
The show also features some incredible Malagasy blues - Sambo de Gera by Dama Mahaleo is a track with a mesmeric sound, and Dama’s really deep, bluesy voice.
There is also a good dose of accordion music which could be attributed to the South African influence on the music of the country - island nations are often a real melting pot of music from countries that are geographically far away but have a strong musical connection.
I also featured an excerpt from my interview with pianist Omar Sosa from my Afro-Cuban show and a couple of his collaborations with Malagasy musicians Rajery and Monja Mahafay.
Full tracklist:
Alima - Jaojoby
Manina An-Droky / I Miss You - Akon'i Mania
Mbo Hahita Avao - D'Gary
Dralako Avao - Teta
Sambo de Gera - Dama Mahaleo
Tsy Hagnaligno / I Will Never Forget You - Zambey
Malemilemy - Jaojoby
Jagobo (Nostalgie) - Orchestres électriques…
Omar Sosa Interview
Veloma E - Omar Sosa & Rajery
Eretseretse - Omar Sosa & Monja Mahafay
Mandany Resaka - Trio Ny Antsaly
