Eusèbe Jaojoby

Eusèbe Jaojoby (born 29 July 1955), commonly known by his surname Jaojoby , is a Malagasy composer and singer of salegy, a musical style of northwestern Madagascar. Critics consider him to be one of the originators of the modern salegy style that emerged in the 1970s, and credit him with transforming the genre from an obscure regional musical tradition into one of national and international popularity. Jaojoby also contributed to the creation of two salegy subgenres, malessa and baoenjy. Jaojoby has been called the most popular singer in Madagascar and the Indian Ocean islands, and is widely referred to as the "King of Salegy". His success has earned him such honors as Artist of the Year in Madagascar for two consecutive years (1998–1999) and the role of Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund in 1999.

In 1970 Jaojoby began singing in the northern coastal town of Diego-Suarez. He performed with bands that were experimentally blending American soul and funk with the Malagasy musical traditions of the region. The artist gained popularity and toured regionally, producing four singles with The Players before the band broke up in 1979. After a short break in the 1980s to pursue a career in journalism, Jaojoby resumed his musical career and rose to national prominence with his 1988 hit "Samy Mandeha Samy Mitady". He then reoriented his career toward music, recording his first full-length album in 1992 and becoming a full-time professional musician the following year. He has since released eight full-length albums and has toured extensively in Madagascar and abroad accompanied by his wife and adult children, who perform in the band with him.

Early years Eusèbe Jaojoby was born on 29 July 1955, to a Sakalava family in the village of Anboahangibe, near Sambava in the northeastern coastal Sava Region of Madagascar. Jaojoby and his twelve younger brothers and sisters were raised Catholic; early experiences singing hymns in the local church choir and traditional folk songs Jaojoby was inspired by these styles and particularly by Freddy Ranarison, who in the 1960s became the first Malagasy musician to use an electric guitar to perform coastal musical styles.

One month after moving to Diego-Suarez, Jaojoby entered a local talent competition and managed to win despite singing unaccompanied and without a microphone. He began to perform in nightclubs whenever the opportunity presented itself. The uncle with whom he was lodging sent word of Jaojoby's activities to the young singer's parents, who consulted a priest before giving their son permission to continue exploring his musical talents on the condition that he continue to perform well at school. Jaojoby was promoted to Director of the Regional Information Service in Diego-Suarez in 1984, necessitating his relocation back to the northwest coast and bringing his cabaret performances to an end. leading a newspaper to declare him the "King of Salegy". High demand for live performances led the singer to return to Antananarivo in 1988 to form a band named "Jaojoby" that included former bandmates from Los Matadores and The Players. Jaojoby begin touring regularly at home and abroad, as well as the first of his albums to be produced in a professional-quality recording studio. the Festival du Bout du Monde in Brittany, WOMEX in Spain, the Festival des Musiques Métisses in Angoulême, the MASA Festival in Abidjan, and similar events in Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal. Jaojoby's excitement over his rise to international celebrity was attenuated by the 1995 death of the band's original drummer, Jean-Claude Djaonarana, who had first performed with Jaojoby as a member of Los Matadores. In the wake of its success, Jaojoby performed at a political rally to an audience of 50,000 partisans of candidate Marc Ravalomanana less than a month before the divisive 2001 presidential elections Jaojoby's 2004 follow-up album Malagasy, which was recorded in semi-live conditions on the island of Réunion The same year he toured extensively in France, the United States and Canada. The live album Live au Bato Fou: Jaojoby was released in 2010 and features a diverse sampling of Jaojoby's greatest hits.

Style and legacy [Jaojoby] dusted off salegy and freed it of its image as a primitive music that served only to relieve peasants exhausted by their labors ... The soul-tinted voice of Jaojoby, warm and powerful, sings about love and life with the frankness typical of northerners, marked with ancestral wisdom and popular philosophy. For the first time, one realizes that salegy can be really listened to and not just inspire maniacal dancing. To the oubliettes with the minimalist "hard salegy" of the 1970s with its three chords, drum solos and Farfisa organ! With Jaojoby, salegy passed from a marginal genre into the ranks of essential culture, soon afterward imitated by a wave of others ... — ―"Jaojoby : 30 ans de scène", Madagascar Tribune (October 12, 2000) Upon relocating to Diego-Suarez, Jaojoby was exposed to Western artists and musical genres, and have identified him as an originator of two derivative versions of salegy, malessa and baoenjy.

Family and personal life Since the mid-1990s, Jaojoby's wife and children have formed part of the standard lineup of his band. His wife, Claudine Robert Zafinera, provides backing and occasional lead vocals. The couple's son, Elie Lucas, plays lead guitar while their daughters, Eusebia and Roseliane, provide backing vocals and stage dancing. His children also formed a band called Jaojoby Jr. that performs covers of their father's music as well as some of their own original salegy compositions. performs the traditional form of salegy using only accordion, percussion, and vocals.

While traveling to Antananarivo after a performance at the 2006 Donia Festival in Nosy Be, Jaojoby and his family were involved in a road accident. The singer suffered four broken ribs, lung damage and a fractured pelvis that necessitated emergency surgery in Réunion, three weeks of hospitalization, and prolonged physical therapy to enable Jaojoby to regain the ability to walk.

On 3 June 2011, Jaojoby opened a new cabaret venue called "Jao's Pub" in the Ambohipo neighborhood of Antananarivo, where the singer and his family reside. Released Label Tracks (Length) Tsaikijoby 1976 Discomad 2 (7'54") Agny rô 1978 Discomad 2 (6'57") Salegy! 1992 Xenophile (1996 – US)/Rogue (1992 – UK) 10 (53'53") Velono 1994 Indigo – Label Bleu 11 (55'11") E Tiako 1998 Indigo – Label Bleu 11 (44'31") Aza Arianao 2000 Indigo – Label Bleu 12 (50'15") Malagasy 2004 Discorama 12 (55'18") Donnant-Donnant 2008 Edition Mars 15 (unknown) Live au Bato Fou: Jaojoby 2010 Discorama 12 (58'55") Mila Anao 2012 Buda Musique 14 (57'58")