SALEGY IN MADAGASCAR: BETWEEN MUSICAL TRADITION AND ACTIVISM

A FAST-PACED MUSIC

It plays constantly in every corner of Madagascar, at any time of day. Whether it comes from a small Bluetooth speaker, a smartphone, a live band or a radio programme, the genre remains the same. It has a lively groove that engages and includes everyone. Without distinction, everyone dances! Often played in six-eight time, it moves dancers and musicians in unison. Their steps and voices intertwine with the bass, electric guitar and accordion lines, creating the musical backdrop for dancing. And, if that weren’t enough, polyrhythms (rombo in gasy) generated by the dancers’ clapping are added from time to time, enriching the central section, the folaka, which is mostly instrumental.

All this, and much more, is known as Salegy.

TRADITION AND MODERNITY OF SALEGY

Salegy is a contemporary Malagasy musical genre that has become a symbol of Madagascar. Although it has established itself as a modern protagonist of the island’s musical heritage, it does not betray its origins. Born between the 1950s and 1960s, it is rooted in an older tradition that draws on the customs and traditions of the Sakalava and Tsimihety groups in the north of the country and their celebratory style, the antsa.

Originally, the antsa was performed during possession rituals and ceremonies related to ancestor worship. After the Second World War, a few pioneering musicians transformed it into Salegy. Using the electric instruments of the 1960s, they fused Malagasy tradition with the rhythms of Réunion, Mauritius, Congo, Kenya and South Africa. Success came quickly: Salegy became the music that identified the Grande Terre, spread to the rest of Africa and achieved considerable popularity internationally.

Among the main protagonists, founders and promoters of Salegy, Eusèbe Jaojoby deserves a special mention. From a young age, he sang in traditional ceremonies in choral groups; in the 1970s, he moved to Antsiranana, where he experimented with a new language, grafting contemporary instruments onto the traditional matrix. In 1987, with the album Les Grands Maîtres du Salegy, he established the genre, soon becoming an ambassador for Malagasy music around the world and taking Salegy on national and international tours. A rich scene grew up around him: Mily Clément, Théo Rakotovao, Fenoamby, Bilo, and the more contemporary Wawa Salegy, who brought the genre into the new millennium, gaining a strong following among Malagasy communities abroad.

WHEN SALEGY BECOMES PROTEST: THE ACTIVISM OF NINIE DONIAH

From its beginnings to the present day, the Salegy scene has been characterised by a wealth of exponents. Among them, one woman has stood out, transforming Salegy into a means of protest and feminist struggle: Ninie Doniah (pseudonym of Bezara Eliane Virginie), nicknamed the “queen of Salegy”. An artist, author and composer, she began her career in the 1990s and immediately won over audiences with her recognisable voice and a style that highlighted the nuances of Malagasy culture. With her charisma — and above all with lyrics that address gender discrimination and land grabbing — she transformed Salegy into a means of denunciation and popular mobilisation.

During her musical career, she released five albums (Tsara Olo Be, Donia Malamatra, Ngoma Lelahy, Penser aux autres, Vonjia), flying the flag for Malagasy culture through numerous international tours. In addition, her direct and courageous songwriting led her to receive the “Woman of the Year 2000” award for denouncing all the offences against Malagasy women.

From then on, however, she became a figure who was as loved as she was controversial and, despite the discontent, she continued to pursue the cause she had embraced from the outset. Unfortunately, as a result, her career was cut short in 2021 when she was arrested for “inciting and contributing to public disorder during the protests in Nosy Be” against land expropriation. Her long imprisonment undermined her health and, despite numerous requests, she was not transferred to hospital.

On the afternoon of 19 November 2023, Ninie Doniah died in prison at the age of only 56, deeply shocking Malagasy society and the national and international music world.

Almost two years after her death, her passing still brings regret to her family, citizens and the music scene; yet, it is not only the memory of Ninie’s actions that remains, but also tangible evidence engraved in her albums.