Hira
Gasy
Music In The Highlands
Of Madagascar ~ by Rabenilaina Harinia Cyrille
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| November
2004
Antananarivo,
Madagascar
Malagasy people
like dancing and singing. From the North to the South, from the East to
the West, by the way of the high plains, Madagascar sings and dances. Not
only to modern rhythms, nor necessarily to world music. Like the other
countries in the world, Madagascar has its own culture and tradition. This
tradition is alive and kicking throughout the country in many guises. Popular
culture needs no electricity, stage or professional artists. In a country
so impregnated with the memory of its ancestors, songs and dances remind
us of the depth of our roots whilst at the same time entertaining the community.
Such diversity is in keeping with the size of the country which comprises
18 ethnic groups that are very different but share a common culture. As
I said, there are many kinds of traditional music here in Madagascar because
of the size of the country but among them I’m going to talk about the Hira
gasy literally meaning Malagasy Arts. According to the ancestors, the origin
of hira gasy is in the construction of the kingdom of the Merina by the
powerful Andrianampoinimerina (1789-1810). In fact at that time and until
now, Mpihira gasy is one of the most important musical performances and
takes place in ceremonies during which the singers play traditional dances
and songs. It is also called a theatre in the round because of its choreography
and development: it is a most interesting theatrical spectacle which can
often still be seen in the Highlands. |
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Indeed Andrianampoinimerina
needed to inform millions of workers employed in public works (roads, aqueducts,
etc) of the royal directives. So he sent out the best Mpikabary or orators,
singers and dancers who came from the various Highland villages. Each assembly
became the occasion for listening to the best compositions and the best
acrobatic dance displays until norms where established regulating the Mpihira
Gasy: Renihira, Zanakira, Sasitehaka. The spectacle takes place under the
direction of a professor of music and elocution.
The texts of
the Mpilalao (hira gasy actors) impertinent troubadours are heavily inspired
by Malagasy tradition of hain-teny. A veritable poetic art, the hain-teny
plays with words, metaphors and parables to express the feelings of love
or misfortune, demands and criticisms. The structure of a hira gasy performance
is very precise, constructed on the basis of former royal kabary. It is
generally made up of three parts of equal length, corresponding to three
themes chosen by the company. Each part invariably begins with the entry
to music of men. They warm up the audience before the entry of women, following
the introductory speech given by the main orator, often the oldest actor.
Then, the theme is taken up in various songs and addresses more or less
improvised. Then come the dances, individual, in pairs or in groups, before
the final scene, in which the youngest members are invited to display acrobatic
talents. Often, two companies oppose each other within the same show, each
performing its part in turn. The tension mounts in the audience, grouped
around the actors. Each company vies for the audiences favour, whether
it be applause or coins, in order to prove its superiority. The atmosphere
is feverish, during the last acts, after several hours of performance.
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The
hira gasy owes part of its success to the artists’ stage costumes: red
coats and large straw hats for the men, and long dresses for the women,
but after coming into contact with the court, the women strive to dress
like courtiers. Radama II, the liberal king, authorised this practice during
his short reign (1861-1863). Since then, no company would ever dream of
changing a single detail of their costumes! To this day, dozens of hira
gasy companies (mpihira gasy) abandon their villages and their fields to
wander the high plains during the dry season, when major family celebrations
take place: exhumations, circumcisions, etc. The most famous companies
are even requested to go to the distant coastal regions which are seduced
by their art, which knows no borders.
The Sasitehaka
or prelude lasts around 10 minutes during which drums clapping and little
calls accompany the entrance of the actors, musicians and dancers onto
the stage. The artists wear costumes that go back to the time of the royal
palace during the XIX century, a mixture of traditional Malagasy style
and that imported by the Europeans of tha period. |
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The Kabary:
speech in which the Mpikabary pronounces the opening of the session by
raising his hat to announce the opening of the show, inviting the ladies
to take their places on the stage. Their entrance is accompanied by music
and by a kabary lasting fifteen minutes that introduces the subject matter.
The Renihira
or main song is the basis of Mpihira Gasy and develops the theme of the
show, the Indray Miditra: which ususally revolves around a main theme:
marriage, agriculture, commerce and so on. The artists, who are accompanied
by musicians, sing and interpret the theme through mime.
During the
Dihy or dance, the troop sits on the ground while the musicians play following
the dancers who could be one (dihy) or two (tsikandihy). The dance lasts
about fifteen minutes, and is followed by a kabary (final speech) or summary
of the end which comes back to the theme of the day and introduces the
end of hira gasy.
The Zanakira
is a show lasting fifteen minutes and is performed before the troop leaves
the stage. In order that the show is a success two troops face each other
and demonstrate their skills, and taking turns.
The first is
called the Vakisehatra in which each troop presents a well defined theme
in order to lead into the second scene which is the Adikira, identical
to the first but with a more aggressive theme in order to liven up the
proceedings. The third scene is the Vakodrazana with which the show comes
to an end. Information about these Hira Gasy shows, which are normally
performed in the capital on Saturday afternoons, are announced in the newspapers.
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If you really
want to listen to the local music and admire the incredibly rhythmic and
spontaneous dancing of the Malagasy, similar to that of the Africans and
Asians, then you’ll need to visit the small, local night clubs which are
only frequented by the Malagasy. It is only in these places that you will
listen and dance to the real sound of Malagasy music. The most local colour
night club are the Zazaclub in Tulear, the Papagayo and the
Vieux Port in Nosy Be, the Indra, the Bus, the Glacier,
and the Cahïba in Antananarivo.
The following
is a list of articles that Nia has written for the magazine:
 Humpback
Whales Around Sainte Marie Island ~ In
Madagascar
A
Look At Madagascar ~ The
Great Island
In
The South Of Madagascar ~ Among
The Harsh Beauty Of Isalo
Antananarivo
~ The
City Of A Thousand Warriors - Madagascar's Capital
An
Island With Sapphire Fever ~ Madagascar's
Hidden Wealth
The
Tsingy Of Belo Sur Tsiribihina And The Royal Bath ~ In
Madagascar
Nosy
Be - The
Little Great Island In The North Of Madagascar
To contact
Nia Click Here
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