Biography
Since 1993 Tarika have built a strong following on the world music circuit and earned recognition as Madagascar’s leading musical export. The five-piece ensemble, whose name means simply “the group,” is fronted by singer and percussionist Hanitra Rasoanaivo. While remaining faithful to their instrumental and rhythmic origins, the musicians have pursued an unceasingly innovative path.
The project’s roots reach back to 1983, when Rasoanaivo served as interpreter for visiting British musicians who had come to record Malagasy performers. Through that connection she met Sammy Andraimanahirana; together with her sister Norosoa she formed the group Tarika Sammy. The ensemble contributed tracks to Current Modern Music of Madagascar on Globestyle and to the Henry Kaiser and David Lindley collections A World out of Time. After completing the album Fanafody the partnership dissolved: Andraimanahirana resumed folkloric work under the Tarika Sammy name, while the sisters continued simply as Tarika. They augmented the traditional Malagasy instruments valiha, marovany, and kabosy with guitar, bass, and percussion to create a denser, more powerful sound.
Few Malagasy artists could sustain themselves through music at home, so Tarika moved to London. Their debut album Bibiango appeared there in 1994. Its lyrics examined subjects rarely discussed in Malagasy society and provoked discussion on the island, yet in Europe steady touring and music that combined exotic color, melodic appeal, and rhythmic vitality won both a devoted public and critical praise.
For the follow-up, Son Egal, the band embarked on an ambitious collaboration that fused their style with Senegalese elements supplied by members of Baaba Maal’s Daande Lenol. The record recounted Madagascar’s 1947 uprising against French colonial rule and the deployment of Senegalese troops that followed, an episode that left lasting tension between the two nations. Produced by Afro Celt Sound System’s Simon Emmerson, the album sought to mend that rift. Its charged examination of racism, colonialism, and corruption coincided with more refined composition and arrangement, reflecting the group’s expanding creative reach. Reviewers responded strongly, and the release received the AFIM Indie Award for Contemporary World Music.
A year later Tarika shifted mood with D—Malagasy for “dance”—offering original pieces alongside covers of Malagasy hit singles from the 1960s and 1970s and a survey of dance rhythms from the Big Red island. The album’s relaxed, celebratory tone stood in clear contrast to its predecessor.
In 1999 the group signed with Wicklow, the label founded by Paddy Moloney of the Chieftains, and began work on Soul Makassar, their boldest musical and conceptual undertaking. Recorded in London and Indonesia with guests Sabah Habas Mustapha and former Small Face Ian McLagan, the project traced Malagasy cultural origins to Indonesian settlers who arrived some 1,500 years earlier, preserving certain customs and instruments virtually unchanged. Plans for a summer 2000 release collapsed with the closure of Wicklow; the album finally surfaced in Europe on Sukay in January 2001 and in the United States on Triloka the following April.
The project’s roots reach back to 1983, when Rasoanaivo served as interpreter for visiting British musicians who had come to record Malagasy performers. Through that connection she met Sammy Andraimanahirana; together with her sister Norosoa she formed the group Tarika Sammy. The ensemble contributed tracks to Current Modern Music of Madagascar on Globestyle and to the Henry Kaiser and David Lindley collections A World out of Time. After completing the album Fanafody the partnership dissolved: Andraimanahirana resumed folkloric work under the Tarika Sammy name, while the sisters continued simply as Tarika. They augmented the traditional Malagasy instruments valiha, marovany, and kabosy with guitar, bass, and percussion to create a denser, more powerful sound.
Few Malagasy artists could sustain themselves through music at home, so Tarika moved to London. Their debut album Bibiango appeared there in 1994. Its lyrics examined subjects rarely discussed in Malagasy society and provoked discussion on the island, yet in Europe steady touring and music that combined exotic color, melodic appeal, and rhythmic vitality won both a devoted public and critical praise.
For the follow-up, Son Egal, the band embarked on an ambitious collaboration that fused their style with Senegalese elements supplied by members of Baaba Maal’s Daande Lenol. The record recounted Madagascar’s 1947 uprising against French colonial rule and the deployment of Senegalese troops that followed, an episode that left lasting tension between the two nations. Produced by Afro Celt Sound System’s Simon Emmerson, the album sought to mend that rift. Its charged examination of racism, colonialism, and corruption coincided with more refined composition and arrangement, reflecting the group’s expanding creative reach. Reviewers responded strongly, and the release received the AFIM Indie Award for Contemporary World Music.
A year later Tarika shifted mood with D—Malagasy for “dance”—offering original pieces alongside covers of Malagasy hit singles from the 1960s and 1970s and a survey of dance rhythms from the Big Red island. The album’s relaxed, celebratory tone stood in clear contrast to its predecessor.
In 1999 the group signed with Wicklow, the label founded by Paddy Moloney of the Chieftains, and began work on Soul Makassar, their boldest musical and conceptual undertaking. Recorded in London and Indonesia with guests Sabah Habas Mustapha and former Small Face Ian McLagan, the project traced Malagasy cultural origins to Indonesian settlers who arrived some 1,500 years earlier, preserving certain customs and instruments virtually unchanged. Plans for a summer 2000 release collapsed with the closure of Wicklow; the album finally surfaced in Europe on Sukay in January 2001 and in the United States on Triloka the following April.
Albums
