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Hiragasy or hira gasy (''hira'': song; ''gasy'': Malagasy) is a musical tradition in Madagascar, particularly among the Merina ethnic group of the Highland regions around the capital of
Antananarivo Antananarivo ( French: ''Tananarive'', ), also known by its colonial shorthand form Tana, is the capital and largest city of Madagascar. The administrative area of the city, known as Antananarivo-Renivohitra ("Antananarivo-Mother Hill" or "A ...
. It is a day-long spectacle of music, dance, and '' kabary'' oratory performed by a troupe (typically related by blood or marriage and of rural origin) or as a competition between two troupes.


Origins and history

The tradition in its contemporary form began in the late 18th century when Merina prince
Andrianampoinimerina Andrianampoinimerina () (1745–1810) ruled the Kingdom of Imerina on Madagascar from 1787 until his death. His reign was marked by the reunification of Imerina following 77 years of civil war, and the subsequent expansion of his kingdom into n ...
first used musicians to draw a crowd for his political speeches ('' kabary''); these troupes became independent, and began to incorporate political commentary and critique in their performances. The audience plays an active role at hiragasy events, expressing their satisfaction with the talent of the troupe members and the message they proclaim through applause, cheers or sounds of disapproval. Hiragasy troupes were used during the French colonial administration to communicate decrees and other information to the rural population in the Highlands, and as such troupe members were exempt from the forced labor requirements imposed on all other Malagasy. After independence from France in 1960, the hiragasy troupe was held up as an icon of traditional Malagasy culture, and began to find greater popularity along the coasts, although performances remain largely concentrated in the Highlands. Aspiring politicians routinely hire hiragasy troupes to attract a crowd for their political speeches while campaigning. While most troupes remain apolitical, some have opted to throw their support behind particular candidates to spectacular effect, as when former hiragasy member-cum-popstar
Rossy Rossy is a Canadian regional chain of variety stores located primarily in the provinces of Quebec, Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada. The company was founded by Michael Rossy in 1949. During the 1960s to the 1990s, different Ro ...
authored his 1995 song "Lera." The song was critical of the Zafy regime and was picked up by hiragasy troupes, who performed it across the island; the popularity of this song played a key role in mobilizing popular support for Zafy's impeachment. The most famous troupe is Ramilison Fenoarivo, Rossy's former troupe and staunch supporter of ex-President
Didier Ratsiraka Didier Ignace Ratsiraka (; 4 November 1936 – 28 March 2021) was a Malagasy politician and naval officer who was President of Madagascar from 1975 to 1993 and from 1997 to 2002. At the time of his death, he was the longest-serving President o ...
.


Structure and performance

The performance of the hiragasy follows a number of conventions, such that there are certain similarities between the 80+ troupes currently performing in Madagascar. Among these are the order in which songs, dances and oratory are performed; how troupes are named (after the last name of the founding member and his/her town of origin); what costumes are worn (men typically wear straw hats, red coats and pants inspired by 19th century French military garb, and matching lamba cloth sashes; women wear identical dresses designed after the style popular among ladies of the court during the Imperial period); and which instruments are used. Traditional instruments are not common at hiragasy performances, due to the origins of the performance with the royal court, where European influences reigned. Instead, the most common instruments are violins, trumpets, and
snare SNARE proteins – " SNAP REceptor" – are a large protein family consisting of at least 24 members in yeasts, more than 60 members in mammalian cells, and some numbers in plants. The primary role of SNARE proteins is to mediate vesicle fu ...
and
bass drum The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. The ...
s; the sodina,
accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...
,
kabosy The kabosy is a box-shaped wooden guitar commonly played in music of Madagascar. It has four to six strings and is commonly thought to be a direct descendant of the Arabic oud. The kabosy has staggered frets, many of which do not even cross ...
or clarinet may occasionally make an appearance. Hiragasy follow a specific structure under the direction of the troupe leader who is often the oldest member and responsible for the presentation of kabary.
1. The Sasitehaka: Over the course of approximately ten minutes, the male members of the troupe settle in the middle of the crowd of spectators as the snare and base drummers beat an accompanying militaristic rhythm. The women are often to the side, completing their wardrobe and makeup.
2. The Mpikabary (Making Kabary): One of the artists, often the troupe leader or oldest member of the group, will typically take off his straw hat and formally announce the beginning of the spectacle. He will invite the female members of the troupe to come to the stage and then, after a short instrumental performance, the artist will take about five minutes to introduce the theme (''indray miditra'') of the show through ''kabary'' - a traditional type of formalized and poetic speech incorporating
ohabolana Hainteny (pronounced , Malagasy for "knowledge of words") is a traditional form of Malagasy oral literature and poetry, involving heavy use of metaphor. It is associated primarily with the Merina people of Madagascar. In its use of metaphor and ...
(proverbs).
3. The Renihira (Queen Song): The singers of the group form a circle facing outward and sing in harmony on the selected theme while the musicians, seated to the side, accompany them. This theme is explored and developed at length, often for more than an hour, and the singers punctuate their message with emphatic hand gestures and facial expressions.
4. The Dihy (Dance): The singers take a seat on the ground while the musicians play behind one, two or several dancers who will perform for approximately 15 minutes. A kabary (''kabarindihy'') is presented on the topic of the dance to be performed and announces the title of the song that accompanies it. There are two typical forms of dance that may be performed. The true ''Dihy'' is typically performed by two dancers and the style is often acrobatic or takes its inspiration from martial arts. The ''Tsikandihy'' or ''Dihy Irery'' is typically performed by one male dancer, occasionally accompanied by a female dancer. The dancing segment is concluded with another short kabary that again touches on the theme of the performance and introduces the final part.
5. The Zanakira or Vakodrazana: A short performance lasting approximately 20 minutes that concludes the spectacle. When two or more troupes are competing, each troupe takes its turn at each stage before all proceed to the next stage of the performance. The troupes may all complete the entire cycle (this first round is termed the Vakisehatra) before repeating the entire process in a second round with a new set of themes (the second round being known as the Adi-Kiha) before all conclude with the Vakodrazana. In these competitive performances, troupes may have as many as three or more themes to explore and the competition may last from early morning until nightfall.


References


External links


Audio clip (60 minutes): BBC Radio 3 - "Hira Gasy and Court Music."Video: Hira Gasy performance.
Dailymotion.com, accessed November 28, 2010. {{Africa topic, Music of Malagasy musical styles Malagasy culture African dances Theatre in Madagascar Performing arts in Madagascar