MADAGASCAR 1
​I visited Madagascar in the fall of 2018.

D'Gary performs at the Institut Francais Madagascar in Antananarivo.




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Melodies are played by a group of musicians, in a manner similar to a bell ensemble.*


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The most famous performer of valiha is Justin Vali, a household name in world-music circles.*
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Malagasy pop music is usually a chessy blend of guitar rock, rough-and-ready rap and hip hop, and soulful ballads, a genre best represented by national treasure Pooy.*​
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Each region of Madagascar has its own architectural style and building materials.*
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Tana, as the capital is universally known, is all about eating, shopping, history and day trips.*

Most traditional Malagasy music revolves around favourite dance rhythms: the salegy of the Sakalava tribe, with both Indonesian and Kenyan influences; watsa watsa from Mozambique and the Congo; the tsapika, originating in the south; and the sigaoma, similar to South African music.*

The tubular instrument you'll see on sale a tourist shops and craft markets is a valiha, which has 28 strings of varying lengths stretched around tubular wooden sound box (generally made of bamboo).*

Apart from at special events such as the Donia festival in Nosy Be, traditional Malagasy music can be hard to find and it is often restricted to rural areas.*

A Madagascar version of a Moroccan souk, this sprawling open-air market, with distinct areas of jewellery, clothing, food and more, will keep you occupied for hours either shopping or simply absorbing the spectacle.*

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The Merina and Betsileo of the hauts plateau (highlands) live in distinctive red-brick houses.*
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Lemurs are an extraordinarily diverse group of prosimians (primate ancestors) found only in Madagascar.*
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The most widely played wind instrument is the kiloloka, a whistle-like length of bamboo capable of only one note.*

It resembles a bassoon, but is played more like a harp and originates from Southeast Asia.*

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Zebu horn is a versatile - and beautiful - material, which artisans at this workshop turn into numerous objects, from jewellery to salad spoons.*

The typical Merina home is tall, narrow affair with small windows and brick pillars in the fron that support open verandahs.*

​*These captions are from Madagascar -- Lonely Planet's travel guide.