Early Years: Madagascar Cassette Archives

Jazz had Miles Davis, rock had Jimi Hendrix, and tsapiky – the frantic, guitar-driven music from Toliara, Madagascar – has Damily. A pioneer and virtuoso of the genre, his band have recorded four studio albums since moving to France in 2003, bringing tsapiky to a global audience. But in this release, we are treated to earlier works that, until now, had been confined to cassette.

Damily already had an extensive repertoire under his belt by the time he eventually stepped into the studio, recording various cassette albums from 1995 to 2002. Early Years is a selection from these releases, which sold by the thousands and propelled the band to local fame prior to their international debut. Full of heat and fervour, the compilation epitomises the Malagasy soul and the atmosphere during the golden period when tsapiky music could be heard spilling out of courtyards across the region, all day and night. Lacking the range they have since developed, Damily and his group have come a long way from the era of these recordings, but it is nevertheless a pleasure to hear some of their earlier hits. The collection is a nod to the group's roots and a tribute to Toliara, the city that never sleeps.