Volo Hazo

Three guitarists from three different generations, all from Madagascar, have produced an album that could quite easily sit on an exemplary guitar specialist record label such as Kicking Mule (‘where guitar is king’) or Takoma.

Jean-Claude Teta is a master of the lively tsapiky style, popular in the city of Tulear in the south of the country. He is also influenced by jazz, blues and Jimi Hendrix. Chrisanto Zama is a specialist of rodaringa (music that accompanies wrestling) and tsinjabey funeral music, while Joel Rabesolo plays all of the Malagasy styles as well as having a deep interest in jazz. Throughout this album's dozen (mostly instrumental) tracks there are predominantly two acoustic guitars taking the lead, with youngster Joel Rabesolo's electric guitar adding some contemporary flavours. The compositions are mostly based on Malagasy tradition but the playing and interpretation lends itself to jazz, blues and Western guitar styles – one interesting variation being a tsapiky version of the Duke Ellington's standard ‘Caravan’.

All in all, this is a wonderfully musical and highly enjoyable amalgamation of Malagasy and Western guitar styles, played by three masters of their instruments.