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What is the first thing to pop up in the mind when hearing the word Madagascar?  Is it the carrot top looking trees, or maybe even the cartoon Madagascar with the dancing lemurs?  Well, both of those answers are correct; however, there is a lot more than trees and cartoons that make up this country’s culture.  In fact, this island just so happens to be the world’s fourth largest in the world, with a span of over 225,000 square miles nonetheless.  And, in case you did not know, Madagascar was in fact ruled by the French many years ago, which as one can imagine influenced their way of life as well as their music.  That being said, come along as we explore the richness of Madagascar’s music from its ancient instruments to its evolution into contemporary style of life.

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Traditional Instruments and Musical Elements

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Traditional Instruments and Musical Elements

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Rakoto Frah is considered the greatest sodina player of the 20th century.

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Rakoto Frah is considered the greatest sodina player of the 20th century.

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The Sodina Instrument is a woodwind instrument that is similar to a flute. This instrument is compared to the flute not due to design but also the sound. The sodina material is made out of bamboo, light wood, plastic, or reed and varies in size depending upon the region it is being played in. If you listen to the sound in the video below, you can hear the breath of the player blowing through the chamber and the finger movements to project the intended sound.

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This drum is traditionally used for healing ceremonies, celebrations, dancing and communicating with their ancestors. The polyrhythmic grooves that come from this hand-made giant sends waves of echoed vibrations throughout the atmosphere forces movement in a major way. This drum also is used for spiritual connections to transcend souls and create spiritual experiences.

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Bloco Malagasy African drummers from Madagascar

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This zither is a harp like instrument that consists of many strings as you can see. This instrument is played or plucked by using their fingers or a small pick like a guitar. It is also identified as the "valiha." This zither is considered as the national instrument of Madagascar.

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Combined with the African zither, sodina, and drums, performances such as the videos below can turn into something magical.  In fact, such performances have even had an influence in the West, with films such as Madagascar(see below).

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Danses traditionnelles malgaches - Madagascar traditional dances - Ihosy 2015

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Madagascar Animated Inspired Dance Scene

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Madagascar Animated Inspired Dance Scene

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The effects of the French colonization are a result of the culture of Madagascar.  Madagascar natives are referred to as the "Malagasy" people. During the colonial period, French became the official language once France took authority over Madagascar in December of 1894. The French first arrived in Madagascar in 1642 with the intent to form a settlement on the outskirts of the island but their efforts did not sustain long. In 1896, Madagascar was officially was a colony under one government. On June 26, 1960, Madagascar gained independence which led to

Madagascar having a total of 18 Malagasy tribes which were merged under the original "hova" people that already occupied the central highlands.

Although they were under one government, the economic and social concerns such as food shortage, black-market scandals, drafting for work, ethnic tensions, and the return of soldiers from France had strained an already tense environment. The Malagasy people thrived in increasing their population rate and the noticeable unique blend of architectural skills brought favorable travelers. There's deep African influence and blend of cultural structures in Madagascar.

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Tsiliva born Christophe Tsiliva Diddiot is the son of a pastor. He launched his solo career in 2004, and the popular single, "Oh! le Tsiliva" skyrocketed  him into fame. His performance usually includes a large ensemble comprising six musicians, five backup singers and four dancers. He has expressed the goal of rendering Malagasy music universally accessible, following Bob Marley's example in popularizing reggae. Tsiliva is a man of many talents. He sings, dances, and plays percussion and guitar.

He is also well-known for a dance called the "kilalaky". It’s a fast paced groove lead by percussive breakdowns. You can easily get lost between the mix of percussion's and the tempo. Tsiliva exhibits patterns of rhythmic panting. With this dance, the dancers form a line and there unified movement mirrors the exact steps of the leader. I would describe it as organized chaos. Malagasy music's dance genre feels hip and contemporary enough to appeal across regions and generations to come. No matter the familiarity, this style, rhythm, and tempo will force limb movement.

The video below is hilarious! Watch the video to see if you can understand the story line.

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“Afrisson.” 2018. Accueil Du Site. Accessed July 18. http://www.afrisson.com/Sodina-1810.html.

2014. "CIA: The World Factbook: Madagascar." CIA World Fact Book 52, 458-461. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed July 17, 2018).

Draper, Robert, and Pascal Maitre. 2017. “Madagascar's Pierced Heart.” National Geographic. September 13. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2010/09/madagascar/.

Posso, R. Michael. "French Conquest of MADAGASCAR." Military History 22, no. 7 (October 2005): 46-73. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed July 16, 2018).

Schuler, Manfred; Zither In Der Volksmusik , vol. 1 & 2; Unbekannt . ISBN 3-853-66837-2, 3-708-40155-7 (German)

"Sodina." Wikipedia. June 28, 2015. Accessed July 18, 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodina#cite_note-clairefeuille-1. retrieved 2007.

"Tsiliva." Wikipedia. July 07, 2018. Accessed July 18, 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsiliva.