Traditional Music of Madagascar

Music of Malagasy is highly melodic and differentiates itself from many of the customs of mainland Africa by the superiority of chordophone relative to percussion instruments. The musical instruments and the vocal patterns originate in Madagascar represent a mixture of widespread commonalities and highly localized customs. A common vocal pattern among the Merina and Betsileo of the Highland for example, does not prevent the different in the occurrence of particular instrument types (the valiha which is seen among the Merina and the marovany and kabosy, which is seen among the Betsileo). Similarly, tromba practice enter a trance state, typically induced by music, which is present on both the western and eastern regions of the island but the vocal patterns or instruments used in the ceremony will differ locally. Music in Madagascar has the habits toward the major keys and diatonic scales, though regional music makes regular use of the minor keys, many like it due to the early Arab influences at regional ports of call. Malagasy music has worked for a wide range of social, spiritual and mundane functions throughout the centuries.

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Choral customs in Madagascar are extremely often polyharmonic; the southern vocal patterns bear strong similarity to that of South African singing (as demonstrated by groups such as Salala or Senge) also Highland harmonies, strongly affected in the past two hundred years by European church music are more suggestive of Hawaiian or other Polynesian vocal customs. Particularly in the Highlands during the 19^th century, vocal performance by large groups is known as antsa and it was favored while in the south and western seaside areas singing were done with more elaborate ornamentation and in small groups. Musical performance in Madagascar is also associated with spiritual functions. Music is a major part in achieving a trance state in tromba or bilo spiritual rituals practiced in several areas of the island, as it is seen that each spirit has a diverse favored piece of music. The union between the music and ancestors is so strong on the eastern shore that some artists will put odd, cigarettes or other valued objects inside an instrument across the tone hole, for instance as an offering to the spirits to get their blessings. Similar, music has long been focused to the famadihana ceremony which is the periodic reburial of the ancestors’ shroud-wrapped mortal remains.