Each Wednesday, The World Africa presents three new musical releases from or inspired by the continent. This week, head to Madagascar, where rock has been digging its way since the 1970s, giving rise to various nuances ranging from blues to pop, via metal. We had already told you regarding Kristel (read here); here, each in their own style, are The Dizzy Brains, Loharano and Ambondrona.
« Kere », des Dizzy Brains
Friday January 14, it is a clip that takes to the guts that the group The Dizzy Brains, revelation of the Trans Musicales de Rennes in 2015, unveiled. On images shot in the south of Madagascar, the brothers Eddy (vocals) and Mahefa (bass), guitarist Poun and drummer Alban recount the terrible famine that is raging in this region where the inhabitants are condemned to eat “cacti, dirty water, rubber”, while facing government denial. Mixed with blues, the piece Times is from their third album, Dahalo, released on December 10, 2021. They deliver committed rock, denouncing corruption, poverty, rape, drought… Powerful.
“Tandroka”, by Loharano
Here is a trio that might well follow in the footsteps of its elders, since it too caused a stir during the last edition of the Trans Musicales, just a few days following the release of its first album, Lohamboto, November 19, 2021. Composed of Mahalia Ravoajanahary on guitar, Michael Raveloson on bass and Natiana Randrianasoloson on drums, Loharano (“the source”, in Malagasy) offers an explosive metal which, too, does not chew his words : “Our tolerance has its limits / An anger, a rage flows in us / Seething in our veins / The beasts in us are waking up”, Mahalia sings like this in the song Horns.
“FAY”, from Ambondrona
More pop, melodic and mainstream is the repertoire of Ambodrona, a group that would almost serve as a veteran since it was founded in 2001 in Antananarivo. Made up of five members (Kix and Beranto on guitars, Honty on bass, Blanc on drums and Ranto on keyboards), he is the author of seven albums, including the latest, Good Luck, was released in April 2021. If he has already played in several countries of the Indian Ocean, but also in France and South Africa, these are images of a concert at the Canal Olympia Iravo, on the outskirts of the Malagasy capital , which he chose for the clip of the song F.A.Y, published in September 2021 on YouTube.
Find all the musical favorites of the editorial staff in the playlist YouTube from World Africa.