One of Madagascar's most important songwriters, an ensemble of instrumentalists and vocalists from both the capital and the Malagasy diaspora in France and a young German anthropologist and musician who has broken the spell of an exclusive ‘foreign’ culture: The eight members of the Madagascar Roots Band present contemporary poetry and the sound of today's Madagascar. With a cosmopolitan perspective, they draw on Madagascar’s unique and diverse traditional musical landscape. Delicate and refined bamboo tube zither sounds and fine percussion combine with vocal harmonies, accordion and violin melodic lines, especially in the lyrical songs of Madagascar’s highlands. But again and again, danceable tropical grooves ignite and reinforce the power and intensity of an island polyphony that speaks straight from the heart.
Erick Manana – lead vocals, guitar, kabosy
Jenny Fuhr – lead vocals, violin, flute
Donné (Dieu Donné Randriamanantena) – percussion, flute, vocals
Hery (Clément Herilalao Andrianasolo) – bass guitar, vocals
Passy (Andriamampianina Rakotomalala) – valiha, vocals
Sata (Sata Nirina Andriamahatony) – percussion, vocals
Solofo (Nomenjanahary Rasolofoniaina) – accordion, vocals
Titi (Thierry Razakamiadana) – saxophone, vocals