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RECORDS: ISLAND OF GHOSTS PAPA MANDELA
Alias: | Paul Bert Rahasimanana |
| Instrument: | Male vocals Accordion |
Articles: A long time since we've heard from Rossy Realworld presentation
His real name is Paul Bert Rahasimanana, so perhaps it's understandable that this artist operates under a simpler handle. Rossy grew up in Madagascar's main city, Antananarivo, and his musical career goes back to the 1970s when he first heard Mahalso, the first modern pop group in the country at that time. Mahalso blended traditional music with western and wrote their own lyrics. Rossy decided to develop this tradition further, and to drive the experiment further.
He comes from modest circumstances and decided that he could go just as far as other artists. Early on he began to perform with vakisova, hand-clapping and choir singing without orchestra, that was popular among Madagascar's poor people in the 1970s. Rossy was not satisfied with this and formed his own band at secondary school in 1981. At the beginning of the 1990s he went off on a tour of Europe. He was already established as a popular music rebel in Madagascar, singing about revolution, democracy in Africa, freedom and civil rights for Africans. Musically, he weaves many traditions together, from Madagascar's tribal impulses to modern pop.
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Last Modified:
22 nov 2009
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ISLAND OF GHOSTS 
Realworld/1991
This is the soundtrack from a film of the same name from Madagascar. The film deals with the serious environmental problems of the island: among other problems is the fact that Madagascar’s rain forest has been damaged as a result of people's search for fuel. With one exception, the songs differ from the traditional and are composed by Rossy himself, based on accordion and the old Malagasy stringed instruments – and synthesizer. They are easy and playful and Rossy's status in pop music is noteworthy. He borrows impulses where he finds them – here you’ll find soukous-influences as well as impulses from international pop music. It is unpretentious and catchy, with good lyrics. Charming!
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PAPA MANDELA Celloid
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