Another big blog

 In this blog I kind of was at a standstill. Then, after reading the description of what the blog should consist of, Madagascar stole my attention and i ran with it. Mainly because I am a huge Madagascar, the movie, fan and they do a lot of singing throughout the movies and i was curious to know if the music coincided with the musical culture that was in the Madagascar area. Sooooo... here we go.

The first Traditional music throughout Madagascar has been shaped by a variety of inspirations, including those from Austronesian peoples on just one extreme, and African, Arab, and European migrant communities on the other. From this diversity, it is hard to ascertain the original beginning of traditional songs in Madagascar in relation to time or geography. Folk music was very certainly revealed for the first time in Madagascar a couple of centuries ago.

The instruments involved in this folk style music are the 'Valiha' (zither pipe) and 'marovany' (a box zither). Which are both closely related to each other and are both expressed really often in the countries heritage. There is another instrument that is used called the korintsana which is a rattling instrument that uses rice seed to produce the sound. 

The folk music accompanies the life of many people of Madagascar daily, whether it is sung while tending to cattle or at funerals or before wars. It is sung in a variety of circumstances including: marriages, circumcisions, funerals, or at festivals. It is interesting to me that such music can be involved in so many alternating scenarios.

their musical landscape is diversified and impacted by that of the different civilizations that have defined the nations history. The region's music breaks down into three classifications: traditional, popular, or modern song. Geographical variances exist in the traditional music community. Popular music forms in Madagascar throughout the second part of the twentieth century included rock, hip-hop, folk rock, and jazz. Folk music or traditional music is combined with modern instruments in contemporary music. Music plays a crucial role in spiritual, cultural, and historical events and celebrations, in addition to being a source of enjoyment.

Tropical/traditional music is sometimes used to showcase traditional music, particularly rhythmic music, but it can also be based on a foreign genre, such as an African genre. It stimulates dancing in all circumstances. It's a type of music that's usually associated with parties. The term 'tropical' is frequently used to describe music performed by Madagascans who are not from the highlands. Although the phrase refers to a type of celebratory music, tropical artists are also fans of romantic or spiritual music. In short, they are influenced by various sources, but dance music is the common denominator. Their compositions are notable for their accent, which really is distinct from the primary language. It also varies by region.

A little background on the instrument previously mentioned is the above image is the Marovany, a instrument that is easily associated, visibly, with a suitcase and is quite often described as one. It is connected with metallic threads on both sides. The player alternates between plucking the chords with both hands. This frequently results in complicated syncopations, which are characteristic of Madagascar music. And commonly known to be played in rituals. The instruments of traditional Madagascan music reflects the origins of the early heritage and people that migrated there. Also another chordophone instrument I have not mentioned was the Valiha which is a bamboo tube with strings attached to it. Which is also considered THE national instrument of the country. This instrument's chords are made of fibers from the bamboo, however their are contemporary styles of this instrument that use brake lines of a bicycle.

The popular musical video i watched and discovered was like most african musical units, they have many call and response lyrics. The dress very similar throughout the country no matter what music you associate with. Their pop music is very similar, to me, to their contemporary music. Because of their instrumentals. Many modern instruments like the electric guitar have made their way into the contemporary style of music the Madagascan people have. The contemporary music is just a modern spin off of the traditional style of music in the area. Contemporary music consists of newer works with traditional musical roots that were made for entertainment purposes, usually with the intention of eventual mass distribution via cassette, compact disc, radio, or the internet. Modern  music often include amplified or imported instruments (especially electric guitar, bass guitar, synthesizer, and drum kit), merge the sounds of new and traditional instruments, or use old instruments in novel ways. Contemporary performers manage to keep the melodic, chordophone-dominated sound that differentiates traditional Malagasy music from some of the more percussion-heavy traditions of mainland Africa while they modify their creative legacy to today's environment.

Citations:

Madagascar Culture, Music and Art – All Public Libraries. (2021, May 27). Madagascar Culture, Music and Art – All Public Libraries; www.allpubliclibraries.com. https://www.allpubliclibraries.com/madagascar-culture-music-and-art/

Music of Madagascar - Wikipedia. (2010, November 17). Music of Madagascar - Wikipedia; en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Madagascar#:~:text=A%20wide%20range%20of%20foreign%20music%20styles%20have,been%20popularized%20by%20artists%20such%20as%20Nicolas%20Vatomanga.

Traditional / folk music of Madagascar - Information and songs. (n.d.). Traditional / Folk Music of Madagascar - Information and Songs; folkcloud.com. Retrieved May 13, 2022, from https://folkcloud.com/folk-music-by-country/madagascar