End of Research

10/17 I also wrapped up my artists interviews today, y final one being with one of the most famous Malagasy artists, the King of Salegy, Jaojoby! I met him at a café near our center where he promptly introduced me to one of the head government officials in charge of copyrights and I began my interview. After a few minutes, he asked if we could just go back to his house because he hadn’t eaten lunch yet and was really hungry. Having played soccer all morning, I was quite hungry too and obviously had no complaints about the switch in location so we drove over to his neighborhood. He showed me the club that he had recently opened where they have live music most nights (and where I hope to return tomorrow night, Friday) and then walked down a ridiculous set of small, dangerous, incredibly smelly steps to his house. When we got there, his wife and her traditional Malagasy music group were in the midst of filming a music video! After watching for a few minutes we sat down and had a delicious meal of rice (duh!) and some crab.

Afterwards we got to talk for a while and he answered all of my questions and then some. He then let me pirate his cd too; I wanted to buy it from him but it isn’t coming out until sometime next year and he only had one copy. Afterwards, he even gave me a ride back to our program center. It is so amazing how accessible and how nice the Malagasy people in general, and the musicians in particular, have been during my stay here. What American artist would invite some random student to his house for lunch, give him music and then drive him wherever he was going?? I have been so lucky with all of this and it really has led these past few weeks of Independent Study Project to be 3 of the best weeks of anything called “School” that I have ever done. Am I really getting credit for hanging out with the biggest musicians in Madagascar???

Another thing worth noting was that there were a couple of vazahas hanging out at his house as well. There was a German guy who Jaojoby met in 1982 in Berlin where they decided to become blood brothers (like legitimately did that whole blood exchange) and now visits Madagascar when he can and stays near by (or with him, not sure). And there was also an American who lives in, you guessed it, the Bay Area. Richard was from Berkeley and has traveled all over the world but fell in love with Madagascar and is now on his 3rd visit, applying for his 2nd yearlong residency visa. He travels around the island taking photos and videos then giving them to the people and has made a lot of music contacts here on the island. He also works(ed) for Bay Area Music Magazine, so I of course took down his contact.

Jaojoby’s house was crazy busy between all the vazahas hanging out, music videos being shot and the normal activities in a Malagasy house and it was yet another incredible experience that I will not forget.