Musiques Métisses - Océan Indien

This CD journeys throughout the music of the Indian Ocean, with 17 artists discovered and backed by the festival Musiques Métisses (Angouleme, France). They come from Madagascar, Reunion, the Comoros and Mauritius, and they illustrate the richness and diversity of a region undergoing massive changes. At the crossroads of Africa, Asia, the Middle-East and Europe, each island has its own colours, rhythms, musical styles (salegy, maloya, séga, taarab.), troubadours, poets, rebels, "ambianceurs" (ambiance creators) and great musicians. They are the champions and heralds of this cultural diversity. Immersed in the tradition yet open to the world, their music contributes its richness to the world mix.

A great part of the music on this CD is from Madagascar. The Red Island, by far the largest and more populated island in the Indian Ocean, is a mosaic of people hailing from Asia, East Africa and the Arab world. It is a musical continent to itself, with its rhythms (salegy, tsapiky), its dances, its vocal polyphonies and its specific instruments (the bamboo tube harp vahila, the traditional violin lokanga, the small guitar kabosse, the sodina bamboo flute etc). It is also the land of the highest musical level and the most sophisticated and original musical blendings. The coastal music forms are rather African with Oriental and Indian fragrances, while the music of the plateaus is more polished and westernised.

Rajery, the young prince of the valiha; accordion master Régis Gizavo; Jaojoby, the king of salegy; D'Gary, the most creative guitarist on the island and the leader of the band Jihé; Nainako, a young band from the Great South, specialising in polyphonic song; Jean Emilien, the one-man band, cabosse and harmonica player; the crooner Dama, founder of Mahaléo, the mythical band of the 80; and lastly Féo-Gasy, the all-stars band featuring such musicians as Eric Manana and the late Rakotofra: all these musicians and groups are representative of modern Malagasy music. The themes of their songs witness to the difficulties of everyday life and the problems facing the Malagasy people: drugs, aids (the track "Herozo"), underdevelopment, deforestation. yet they also give space to love and hope.

The French department of Reunion, a little rock compared to Madagascar, is also swarming with musicians. The maloya, a blending of music imported by the slaves originating from Africa, Madagascar and the neighbouring islands, has inspired a whole new generation of artists. Recently departed Granmoun Lélé was the master of the traditional style. An inspired poet, Danyel Waro has added an international dimension to maloya. Nathalie Natiembé has given it rock 'n' roll tones and Christine Salem (Salem Tradition) a tinge of the blues. As for the unclassifiable René Lacaille, he is the best accordionist in the Indian Ocean along with Regis Gizavo.

The French overseas territory of Mayotte and the independent Comoros archipelago also have their own musical tones and styles. The influences of Islam and the Arab world are preponderant. Maalesh, a poet and troubadour based in Moroni, is the favourite singer on the archipelago. The younger Mikidache is the up-and-coming voice.

The sega, originally the music of the Creole minority, has become the musical reference of the youth in Mauritius, thanks to Menwar who as modernised it and given it a universal dimension.