The Treasure of our Ancestors

This album is a decent enough attempt to document the folk music of Madagascar's Betsileo region, made in the village of Antsangy by the group Tanga, a trio of Tanga Andriakamelo and his brothers Dina and Alfred, though sometimes expanding to a bigger troupe. Tanga is the lead singer and kabosy (lute) player. He also plays harmonica, or uses an acoustic guitar, accompanied by Dina on bass, and an uncredited percussionist – Alfred, presumably – thumping out a beat occasionally, and a second percussionist on kararaka (or katraika) shakers, which accentuate the typically Malagasy 6/8 rhythms on these pieces from local folklore.

The album sounds like a series of field recordings, due to the inclusion of the ambient sounds of nature that colour daily village life, such as wild and domestic bird calls, and the pounding of rice. Unfortunately, our deeper understanding of the context is somewhat hampered by a lack of clarity in the sleeve notes.