Valiha - Madagascar

A virtuoso of the valiha, Madagascar’s national instrument
Rajery (pronounced “rajer”) is an exceptional individual and an outstanding musician.
Through sheer determination he has succeeded in overcoming the handicap of losing his right hand, and is now one of the virtuosos of the valiha. His unique style is concise, refined and poetical.
The valiha (pronounced “vali”) is a sort of tubular lute made from bamboo and belongs to the zither family. The instrument has a crystalline sound that may in turn be reminiscent of the harp, harpsichord, West African kora, Zimbabwean mbira or Persian santur. The strings are in fact cycle brake cables stretched over tiny bridges made from gourds and tuned to different pitches.
Rajery’s art feeds on a wide range of Malagasy tradition (melodies of the High Plateaux of Madagascar, “salegy” rhythms from the Coast, and vocal polyphonies from the south). His songs, written in Malagasy, tell of bush fires that decimate the primary forest, zebu thieving, and the daily lives, hopes and fears of the Malagasy people.