Home› Africa›Southern Africa›Madagascar
Music of Madagascar
Isicathamiya and Mbaqanga from South Africa, Chimurenga mbira music of Zimbabwe, Malagasy valiha, Mozambican marrabenta and timbila.
Sung and searched in Malagasy, French. The YouTube button above can run your search in that language.
Roots and traditions
Traditional music
Malagasy music is highly melodic and distinguishes itself from many traditions of mainland Africa by the predominance of chordophone relative to percussion instruments. Musical instruments and vocal styles found in Madagascar represent a blend of widespread commonalities and highly localized traditions. A common vocal style among the Merina and Betsileo of the Highlands, for instance, does not preclude differences in the prevalence of particular instrument types (the valiha among the Merina, and the marovany and kabosy among the Betsileo). Similarly, the practice of tromba (entering a trance state, typically induced by music) is present on both the western and eastern coasts of the island but the vocal styles or instruments used in the ceremony will vary regionally. Music in Madagascar tends toward major keys and diatonic scales, although coastal music makes frequent use of minor keys, most likely due to early Arab influences at coastal ports of call. Malagasy music has served a wide range of social, spiritual and mundane functions across the centuries.
Popular music
Contemporary music
Contemporary music comprises modern-day compositions that have their roots in traditional musical styles and have been created for entertainment purposes, typically with the intent of eventual mass dissemination via cassette, compact disc, radio or internet. Modern forms of Malagasy music may incorporate such innovations as amplified or imported instruments (particularly electric guitar, bass guitar, synthesizer and drum kit), blend the sounds of new and traditional instruments or use traditional instruments in innovative ways. As contemporary artists adapt their musical heritage to today's market, they manage to preserve the melodic, chordophone-dominated sound that distinguishes traditional Malagasy music from the more percussion-heavy traditions of mainland Africa. African genres like Coupé-décalé and Afrobeats heavily influence modern malagasy popular music.
Read the full article: Music of Madagascar Text under CC BY-SA 4.0
Playing now
What Madagascar is listening to in 2026
Articles
No articles for Madagascar yet. Save a Markdown file to content/articles/ with
country: Madagascar in its front matter.
Live radio
Radio from Madagascar
Music only, no news or talk. Stations that play the local tradition come first, then the most listened. They play in the corner of the page.
Station directory by Radio Browser Streams come from each station's own server.