Madagascar update

[Tonie]

Hello all

I'm half out of hiding to reconnect from Madagascar, where I'm lucky enough to be doing my anthropology fieldwork for one year. It's unfortunately not about ethnomusicology, but I'm making the most of all the great local music. So I thought I'd post a few updates now and then here in the Offshore department.

I spent a couple of months in the capital Tana sorting visas. Passing time there it's unavoidable to go to the nightclub the Glacier, where I managed to catch Tinondia (apparently the singer is the President's mistress, I can understand why - have a peek at youtube), as well as Jaojoby, the king of salegy, Madagascar's most famous rythm, and my old favourites Hazolahy who have revived the traditional fast mangaliba rythm and "sarandra" singing from the south east, which is where I'm now staying.

I also met a Malagasy music expert, drummer and organiser who told me more about the traditional "sarandra" style music, and played me some great "straight from the bush" tracks. Really haunting half-tones sung in a wailing form accompanied by the mangaliba rythm. The sarandra blues are usually sung at funerals or other ceremonial occasions. Here is the link for the ethnomusicology-style CD, which I hope to buy when I'm back in Europe:

[EDIT: I took out the link following Joel's comment - apologies for linking to a pirate site, just wanted to indicate the CD and did it in a hurry] - the CD is called Madagascar - Pays Antanosy. Sarandra.

I also recommend my above-mentioned Malagasy friend's newly started blog about Indian Ocean music: www.menablues.blogspot.com

That's it for now. Hoping my internet lasts long enough for me to catch up on the debates in the main forum!

Tonie

[judith]

Thank you Tonie. I have missed your posts and wondered where you are, geographically speaking. Due to your interesting and clearly written post, I have been able to find some of what you mentioned on YouTube and feel I am beginning to gain a better understanding of the music from Madagascar (emphasis on 'beginning'). The blog looks good (it is not in English), and I see it has a link to Awesome Tapes From Africa, a blog I have enjoyed.

I watched a Hazolahy "Sabarera" video. It is really lovely to watch and listen to. Is that the mangaliba rhythm and 'sarandra' singing you spoke of? .

Good luck on your fieldwork. I look forward to more of your reports.

Judith

[Kirin]

Seconded. One of the other threads on this board has left me listening to Mbila Bel, but once that's finished I'll look at some of those youtube clips on your friend's blog.

[joel]

I also recommend my above-mentioned Malagasy friend's newly started blog about Indian Ocean music: www.menablues.blogspot.com

Ripping that album and putting it up on the web is theft.

[andry]

Hello judith!
this is the mangaliba rythm but unfortunately there is no sarandra singing inside the vid.

Hello Tonie!

[judith]

Hi Andry I don't see a link here for the mangaliba rhythm, but I've looked at the other videos you've posted on the Malagasy music thread.

[Tonie]

Hi all

Nice to hear from you, Judith, Kirin and Joel (I took off the album link - apologies for linking to a ripped album, which I hadn't quite realised!).

And welcome to the forum, Andry! I'm glad you joined and that people are enjoying your blog, even in French... music speaks for itself.

Glad you're enjoying the music, Judith. There is so much! I'm still discovering. As for the sarandra singing it's mostly used on Hazolahy's first album, which is more "rootsy" and absolutely fantastic, but for which there is no clips and so no youtubing... Shame! If you pm me your address I'll buy it and post it to you if I can find it when I'm in the capital for the new year. It's one of my absolutely favourite albums, and absolutely unavailable outside Mada, so I'll be happy to make it a gift! [edit: I just realised that their second album, also great, is available on http://www.tolimana.com/tolimana_products.html - or at least has been]

There's a big music festival happening over the Xmas holidays, so I'm hoping to post some musical updates then. A lot of new local artists, so it should be fun.

Cheers
Tonie

[Tonie]

Hi Andry I don't see a link here for the mangaliba rhythm, but I've looked at the other videos you've posted on the Malagasy music thread.

The rythm in hazolahy's "sabarera" video is the mangaliba rythm... Maybe Andry can explain properly what makes a mangaliba rythm, he is the expert!

[andry]

Ouch! Tonie , I'm going to try.

Please all remember my first language is french if the explanation is quite obscure.

The Mangaliba rythm is , like most of the malagasy rythm ,a ternary beat.

ok let's play a little bit:

count 1,2,3,4,5,6

mark the 1 and 4 with your feet and clap your hands on the 5.

this is the basic ternary.

Now the mangaliba:

still count 1,2,3,4,5,6

Mark the 1, 4 and 5 with your feet and clap your hands on the 2 and the 6.

It is the way people in Madagascar do the rythm (two people:one claps his hands on the 1, 4 and 5 and the other one claps on the 2 and 5)
This way of claping hands is call the rombo.
All the rythm were and are still play this way in traditionnal ceremony.

When using percussion (traditionnal) , the rythm is play with aponga vilany (small drums use with a stick) and sticks (on the 2 and 5).

If the rythm is use during traditionnal ceremony , the name is katrehaka (or katrehaky).

his use for recreationnal purpose make it changes name (and sometimes forms with the addition of solos who don't exist in the katrehaka).

[judith]

Please all remember my first language is french if the explanation is quite obscure.

The explanation is quite clear. I'm rather proud of myself for figuring out that most of what I listened two is a ternary beat. It is easier for me if I count out in triples (1 & uh 2 & uh) and that sometimes I could detect something happening on the 5. The rhythms are so fast. I know a little about West African and more recently, Ewe (their instruments, I was told, are male and female as well). It is so difficult to play on the 2 and the 5 as the women are on the Monja video (I think, if I've gotten it correctly).

Thus far, the videos I have enjoyed the most are the one with Monja (Tontolo Laignaghe Soroba); Vilon Anddroy playing 'Pelake'. I love the sound of the lokanga and the 'beko' singing (?). Also I liked Hazolahy and am going to try and get the album Tonie has mentioned. Thus far (I think, there is so much information which you (and Tonie) have given, I've had to start taking notes) it looks like I've been favoring the sound from the south of Madagascar, but perhaps that is just coincidence.

Thank you so much for the time and patience you have expended to explain the enormous amount of information you have given. And now, I am off onto the rest of my day - every once in awhile trying to stomp and clap as you have explained.

[Tonie]

Thus far, the videos I have enjoyed the most are the one with Monja (Tontolo Laignaghe Soroba); Vilon Anddroy playing 'Pelake'. I love the sound of the lokanga and the 'beko' singing (?). Also I liked Hazolahy and am going to try and get the album Tonie has mentioned. Thus far (I think, there is so much information which you (and Tonie) have given, I've had to start taking notes) it looks like I've been favoring the sound from the south of Madagascar, but perhaps that is just coincidence.

Yes, thanks Andry. I'm still getting my counting wrong, though I do manage to dance a bit of mangaliba now (which I definitely couldn't when I first arrived in Mada!). Judith, I agree that Monja is excellent,　ｈｅ　ｉｓ　ａ　ｌｏｋａｎｇａ　ｍａｅｓｔｒｏ，　ａｎｄ　ｈａｓ a nice mix of traditional and modern sounds. And Vilon'Androy are also great - "Androy" is the southernmost region of Madagascar.　â€

[andry]

I do manage to dance a bit of mangaliba now

Oh my god ,need to see that!!
:-D

I think it's actually a traditioal rytm for calling the spirits of the dead kings of the west (near Morondava)

It's part of the repertoire of the Fitampoha (bath of royal relics) but the jihe (the throat way of singing) is a style use all over Madagascar.the technique of singing is called kagnake (or kagnaky)in the Menabe (Sakalava ,Vezo area) ; rimotse in the antandroy area.

All the malagasy rythms have roots in traditionnal ceremony (Salegy->bilo or possession transe;Tsapiky->tromba or possession transe)
It may explain the repetive form of the majority of the rythm.

[judith]

It may explain the repetive form of the majority of the rythm.

Ha! and it may explain also why I like it so much.

[andry]

and it may explain also why I like it so much.

:-D