Madagascar Music

Madagascar is an island country off the southeastern coast of Africa.  It is the fourth largest island in the world, after Greenland, New Guinea, and Borneo.  The music of Madagascar serves a variety of functions.  In addition to entertainment or personal creative expression, music has played a key part in spiritual ceremonies, cultural events and historic and contemporary political functions.  

There are a variety of musical instruments used in Madagascar music.  The Instruments used are Valiha, Marovany, Lutes, Mandolins, Kabosy and Sodina. 

The Valiha (zither pipe) originated in southeast Asia.  It is the national instrument of Madagascar. It is made of bamboo and is 0.6 meters to 1.2 meters long with a diameter 8cm to 10cm.  Originally the strings were made from bamboo fiber and later replaced by metal strings. A traditional Madagascar Valiha has between 16 to 22 strings.  The Valiha is played during family events, burials, religious festivals and concerts. It is played by holding it between the legs or under the arms and pulling the strings with the fingers.

The Marovany (a box zither) is a suitcase shaped, wooden, type of box zither.  It is strung on both sides and has metal strings. It is commonly used in rituals and spiritual gatherings.  

The Lutes is from Arab origin.  It is a stringed musical instrument that includes a body and a neck which serves as a handle.

Mandolins were adopted in the south and southeast of the island.  It is a stringed instrument in the lute family and is usually plucked with a plectrum.  It has four courses of doubled metal strings tuned in unison for a total of 8 strings.  

The Kabosy is a box-shaped wooden guitar.  It is frequently handmade from scavenged materials.  It has four to six strings and may be strung with nylon (often used fishing line) or steel.

The Kabosy is a box-shaped wooden guitar.  It is frequently handmade from scavenged materials.  It has four to six strings and may be strung with nylon (often used fishing line) or steel.

The two-octave accordion is popular across Madagascar.  It is believed to have been imported by French colonists in the 20th century.  The instrument is commonly used during spirit possession ceremonies.

There are three types of Music in Madagascar; traditional, contemporary and popular music.  Traditional musical styles vary by region and reflect the local ethnic history. This type of malagasy music is highly melodic and distinguishes itself from many traditions of mainland Africa.  String instruments are featured more than percussion with this style. The contemporary music style has its roots in traditional musical styles. It is created for entertainment purposes and uses amplified or imported instruments as well as traditional instruments in innovative ways.

Salegy is a type of contemporary music. It is an energetic dance music that uses electric guitars, accordion, heavy electric bass and a driving percussion.  Many Western styles of popular music, including rock, gospel, jazz, reggae, hip-hop and folk rock, have also gained in popularity in Madagascar.

Madagascar was settled by Austronesian, African, Arab and European peoples.  The island was part of the French colonial empire from 1897 to 1960. Each group of settlers has had an influence on the music and instruments of Madagascar.  The mandolin and kabosy owe their existence to the introduction of the guitar by early Arab or European seafarers.  The bamboo tube zither directly evolved from an earlier form of zither carried with the first Austronesian settlers on their outrigger canoes. 

This combination of instruments has helped to form the distinctive sound of traditional Madagascar music.  The piano and guitar were introduced in the 19th century. Modern influences from the internet have shaped the contemporary and popular music styles.

Madagascar music is a reflection of its diverse population.  Not only is there diversity in music styles that vary by region, there is also diversity in the instruments used.  This diversity is the result of the many groups of settlers from Indonesia, Africa, Arab and European continents. This sets it apart from other African music.