Jaojoby

Eusébe Jaojoby is undisputedly the most popular singer in Madagascar and throughout the Indian Ocean islands.
Accompanied by a group -part of which is family- on a par with the best rock 'n' roll, funk and jazz bands of the Western world, he is one of the founders and the most brilliant interpreter of the style that symbolizes the 'red' island: salegy.

Descending from traditional, ancestral Madagascan music forms (it is said to date back to the 15th century) originating from the north before it conquered the whole island, accompanying possession rites and the specific Malagasy ceremonies linked to the cult of ancestors and based on a hypnotic, fiery 6/8 rhythm, salegy, as played by Jaojoby, is the fruit of an original blend, a mix of western instruments (guitars, keyboards, drums and percussion) with old insular melodies and rhythms, which wonderfully carries his voice and that of his back-up and solo singers.

Joajoby's band is an awesome dance machine, a maelstrom of unrelenting pulse whose precision and cohesion are unique on the African continent and throughout the Indian Ocean. The band's professionalism is due to its longevity and its long practice of stage performances. In Madagascar, Joajoby's salegy is a dance that sets bodies on fire for the five hours or so that his concerts last, driving audiences into a state of trance.

The lyrics of the songs, most of which were written by Jaojoby himself, are both hot and cold, relating Malagasy reality and above all talking about love. Each of these songs is a true ode to life.

This new recording was made in Reunion Island, in the conditions of a live concert, at Bato Fou in Saint Pierre, a mecca where all the musical styles of the Indian Ocean encounter, gather together and blend. All the ingredients were there: the spices, the colours, the folly and the intensity necessary to a successful concert by the band; Joajoby's voice - resounding with a power and inimitable phrasing that bring to mind such great names of soul music as James Brown and Otis Redding- the characteristic, beautiful voice of his wife Claudine featured as soloist on two tracks, as well as the splendid back-up vocals. As for the band, you would have to go back to the likes of Franco in Congo, Fela Kuti in Nigeria and the Soul Brothers in South Africa to find a par in terms of groove and rhythmic fire.

For this celebration, Jaojoby has invited a horn section from the Reunion island, along with saxophonist Prof Jah Pinpin and the Madagascan percussionist Pascal Japhet-not to mention, featured on a very 'hot' song, the great voice of Granmoun Lélé, maloya's founding father, accompanied by his family on vocals and percussion.

This new CD by Joajoby, " Malagasy", is the perfect opportunity to discover the universality of the "Big Island" music, thanks to one of its greatest heralds.