A Sodina is a woodwind instrument commonly played in

Malagasy music The highly diverse and distinctive music of Madagascar has been shaped by the musical traditions of Southeast Asia, Africa, Oceania, Arabia, England, France and the United States over time as indigenous people, immigrants, and colonists have ma ...

and a member of the

aerophone An aerophone () is a musical instrument that produces sound primarily by causing a body of air to vibrate, without the use of strings or membranes (which are respectively chordophones and membranophones), and without the vibration of the instru ...

family of instruments. Similar in structure and sound to a

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

, the sodina is usually made out of bamboo, lightwood, plastic, or reed and varies in size depending upon the region it is being played in. Sodinas indigenous to Madagascar are often found to have anywhere from three to six equidistant openings. Sodinas can be played solo or in a group of instruments, in which case it is accompanied by many flutes and a large drum. Ethnomusicology researches point the origins of the Sodina in Southeast Asia Islands (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines) where one can still find today its bamboo form, known in Malay as '' suling''.

Rakoto Frah Philibert Rabezoza (1923 – 29 September 2001), better known by the name Rakoto Frah, was a flautist and composer of traditional music of the central highlands of Madagascar. Born in 1923 near the capital city of Antananarivo to a poor rural f ...

is considered the greatest sodina player of the 20th century.Sylvie Clairefeuille. ''La sodina''. Afrisson.com. 12 mai 2007
/ref> A number of contemporary performers keep this musical tradition alive, most notably including

Rakoto Frah Zanany Machava is a given name and surname of Malagasy origin. Notable people with the name include: Given name *Rakoto Frah Philibert Rabezoza (1923 – 29 September 2001), better known by the name Rakoto Frah, was a flautist and composer of trad ...

(Rakoto Frah Junior), a group of sodina players composed of Rakoto Frah's sons;

Seta Ramaroson In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Annelid setae are stiff bristles present on the body. Th ...

, an established jazz saxophonist; and

Nicolas Vatomanga Nicolas Vatomanga Andrianaivo Rakotovao (born 24 September 1975), known as Nicolas Vatomanga is a Malagasy saxophonist, flutist, bandleader and composer. His music combines elements of jazz, blues and traditional musics of Madagascar, including ...

, also a saxophonist and celebrated jazz artist.

Discography

Rakoto Frah *1988: ''Flute Master of Madagascar'' (Globestyle) *1988: ''Souffles de Vie'' (Musikela) *1989: ''The Art of Rakoto Frah and Randafison Sylvestre'' (JVC) Seta Ramaroson *2004: ''Introducing Vakoka: The Malagasy All Stars'' (World Music Network) Rakoto Frah and Nicolas Vatomanga *2000: ''Chants et Danses en Imerina'' (

Arion Arion (; grc-gre, Ἀρίων; fl. c. 700 BC) was a kitharode in ancient Greece, a Dionysiac poet credited with inventing the dithyramb. The islanders of Lesbos claimed him as their native son, but Arion found a patron in Periander, tyrant ...

) *2001: ''Madagascar: Pays Merina'' (Arion)

References

{{Flutes End-blown flutes Malagasy musical instruments