Sakalava music recorded in Nossi-Bé (1963)

This LP was ORTF/Ocora’s first release of Malagasy music “that bears witness to the presence of Indonesian, African, European, Islamic and Indian cultural influences,” emphasized Charles Duvelle (1937-2017) in the liner notes. The album showcases the tubular valiha zither found throughout the island of Madagascar off of Africa’s southeastern coast. This 10- to 20-string instrument, originating from Indonesia, was initially played to invoke the ancestors, and was subsequently adopted by many ethnic groups, including the central-highland Merina aristocracy in the 19th century. The valiha comes in many different materials (bamboo, wood, raffia, metal, bamboo fiber strings, metal strings), shapes (tubular, rectangular) and sizes (60 cm-to-130 cm/24 in-50 in), and players sometimes use resonators to amplify its mellifluous sound. https://music-republic-world-traditional.blogspot.com/