Africa Is a Country

The music of Madagascar’s young people

Africa Is a Country Podcast
African Five-a-Side Podcast

The music of Madagascar’s young people

By
Tom Devriendt

Celebrate a country's independence day by featuring some of the music of its young people. This is Madagascar's turn today, June 26th.

People leaving Antananarivo, Madagascar during the COVID-19 pandemic. Image credit Henitsoa Rafalia for the World Bank via Flickr CC.

Today is the 51st anniversary of Malagasi independence. Things could have been better for its citizens. What with being governed by a former radio DJ along with the country’s army and in the background threats that Western governments and aid agencies will withdraw financial support. Anyway, we’re celebrating. For the sake of the Malagasy people. This is also the start of a new regular gig where we’ll celebrate a country’s independence day by featuring some of the music of its young people.

We had a harder time coming up with the short list below (we had an easy time with South Africa’s Youth Day (June 16th) and Mozambique Independence Day, but we found plenty of great stuff available. So here we go. (If we missed anything, let us know.)

Oladad’s “Ketamanga.”

“Tsy fatar’elah” by K.F.R. featuring KIM:

Aora’s “In mo ze zay.”

“Zaza dago” by Suprem.

Volkany Sound’s “Aminay any.”

Finally, Raboussa’s  “Tonga ‘ndray.”

Further Reading

The cost of care

In Africa’s migration economy, women’s labor fuels households abroad while their own needs are sidelined at home. What does freedom look like when care itself becomes a form of exile?

The memory keepers

A new documentary follows two women’s mission to decolonize Nairobi’s libraries, revealing how good intentions collide with bureaucracy, donor politics, and the ghosts of colonialism.

Making films against amnesia

The director of the Oscar-nominated film ‘Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat’ reflects on imperial violence, corporate warfare, and how cinema can disrupt the official record—and help us remember differently.

From Nkrumah to neoliberalism

On the podcast, we explore: How did Ghana go from Nkrumah’s radical vision to neoliberal entrenchment? Gyekye Tanoh unpacks the forces behind its political stability, deepening inequality, and the fractures shaping its future.

The Visa farce

The South African government’s rush to clear visa applications has led to mass rejections, bureaucratic chaos, and an overloaded appeals system—leaving thousands in limbo.