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Jaojoby
Malagasy (World Village)
17.99

Jaojoby is one of the most popular singers in Madagascar and is a favorite throughout the Indian Ocean islands. His group is on a par with the best rock, funk and jazz bands of the Western world. If you're partial to the sweetly intertwining electric guitars that are an integral part of Congolese popular music, you'll find a similar sound in their Malagasy salegy. The music's rich vocal harmonies, powerful yet-never-overbearing percussion, nifty electric bass coupled with a warm and generous spirit are sure to win you over.

You may think of Malagasy music as light on its feet, somewhat refined, but this one - a live recording made on the nearby island of Reunion - bursts out of the speakers like several steam locomotives at once. Power, flame, thump, smoke; you're immediately whacked in the chest, involved, adrenalinised beyond expectation by an explosion of energy and muscle. Some specifics it's called salegy music, spectacular little knots of lead guitar, bass player striding a wild track of his own, double-speed and clipped, fierce kit drums, stirring horns, strong male voices like the Kiwi haka. Make no mistake, this is heavy, fast and yet keeping perfect balance. What's even better is that it is all achieved with no loss of subtlety, still recognisably Malagasy in essentials, yet also managing to encompass a much wider world of influences. How long can they keep this up? you ask, but it doesn't falter wave after wave of sudden phase shifts, glorious breaks, surprising instrumental combinations - wild, spitting grunge guitar and accordeon, for example, is not necessarily going to be a marriage made in heaven but in the short term it's a blinder - and you can't help but respond to such artful generosity. There's a peculiar trick they pull every now and then which is very effective - they suddenly lock on a rhythm and sound like they're stuck, like an imitation of jumping CD, so tension mounts - is it the machine or is it the music? Maybe this is corny if you're Malagasy, but here it works every time, one reason being simply the abundance of creative ideas in the arrangements. It always comes out different. So, head spinning, feet twitching, heart pumping, this music will make you feel more alive. Imagine how much more so at a five-hour live show. Phew! Doesn't hardly bear thinking about. - Rick Sanders, fRoots