Rossy

Paul Bert Rahasimanana (born 20 September 1960), better known as Rossy, is a Malagasy singer and songwriter. Beginning his musical career as an accordionist and singer within a traditional hira gasy musical troupe, Rossy performs a fusion of hira gasy instrumentation and vocal style with contemporary rock, funk and folk sounds to create a Malagasy genre of contemporary popular music. Rossy promoted former president Didier Ratsiraka through concert performances throughout his presidency and served within the Ministry of Culture to promote artists' rights and copyright law. When Ratsiraka fell into disfavor following the contentious 2001 Malagasy presidential elections, Rossy went into self-imposed exile in France. He returned to the island to give concerts beginning in 2008 and set an unbroken record of 35,000 tickets sold for a performance given that year. His compositions and style are frequently associated with the Ratsiraka socialist period and commonly evoke a sense of nostalgia among Malagasy fans.

Early years Paul Bert Rahasimanana was born in 1960 to a working-class family. In the early 1970s, Rahasimanana and a group of friends formed an a capella group called Hazo Midoroboka and began singing traditional consolatory songs (mamonjy jaobany) for those grieving at wakes held in their neighborhood of Ampamarinana in the Mahamasina district of Antananarivo. Mourners paid the members of the group in the form of free cups of coffee and fritters. Like many other urban youth from working class and poor neighborhoods, Rossy also performed soava and vakisova, contemporary and typically a capella urban genres that expressed incisive social critique through slang-laden, rapped lyrics with complex hand-clapping accompaniment. While a high school student in 1981 he formed his first band, using African percussion rather than a Western drum kit to set the rhythm. Rossy gave his first public performance of a song he had composed in the lively vakisôva genre. The performance occurred in the courtyard of the historic Ecole Sainte Famille located in Mahamasina and was attended by local television host Tsilavina Ralaindimby, who brought him to the attention of the director of the Centre Germano-Malgache, who was sufficiently impressed to collaborate with WDR (the predecessor of Radio France Internationale) to organize a four-month series of performances for Rossy in Germany. Rossy's open and enthusiastic support for Ratsiraka throughout his presidency assured Rossy's band regular performances in association with presidential functions.

He recorded his 1991 album Island of Ghosts at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios in England.

Return to Madagascar In 2008 Rossy returned to Madagascar, giving a series of concerts at Mahamasina Stadium in Antananarivo. These concerts were wildly successful; the first sold over 35,000 tickets, a number that in 2013 remained unsurpassed by any other Malagasy artist. He lives in Antananarivo with his family and gives regular performances. In addition, he serves as cultural adviser to the administration of Andry Rajoelina, current interim head of state for the High Transitional Authority following the 2009 Malagasy political crisis that removed Ravalomanana from power.

Style and influences Rossy's style draws its influences from musical genres across the island of Madagascar, including salegy, kwassa-kwassa, and vakisôva, as well as foreign genres ranging from reggae and soukous The instrumentation of a typical Rossy song combines electric bass guitar and drum kit with a variety of Malagasy musical elements, most commonly including the brass section of a hira gasy troupe, folk instruments like the valiha or marovany, and traditional hand-clapping rhythms prominent in such local genres as salegy and vakisôva.

Like many other urban youth growing up in the working-class neighborhoods of Antananarivo, Rossy casually improvised with his friends to create songs in the vakisôva genre. This contemporary Malagasy musical genre is characterized by politically and socially incisive lyrics delivered a capella in a rhythmic, rap-like style over complex hand-clapping beats. Long after vakisôva performance launched his career, Rossy continued to draw upon its rhythms and sensibilities as a vehicle for expressing bold political and social critique while capitalizing on the genre's dance-inducing entertainment value.

Other activities The Studio Pro recording studio was established by Rossy in Antananarivo to improve the quality of locally produced musical recordings, as well as to provide local artists with greater access to low-cost recording facilities. The studio's low-cost, high quality recording capability has enabled artists with limited capital, such as the hira gasy troupe Ramilison Fenoarivo, to record and distribute their work to commercial success. He was reelected in 2018 but lost the seat in the 2024 Malagasy parliamentary elections.

Discography Title Released Label Tracks (Length) Mitapolaka 2011 Studio ProRossy 12 (43'55") Ino Vaovao 2007 Studio ProRossy 12 Gasy'car (Tsarabest of Rossy) 2002 Melodie 12 (54'51") Lehibe ny ankizy 2001 - 13 Iaô ! 2000 Studio ProRossy 14 (50'22")Aoira 1998 Mars 10 (42'05") Lera 1996 Editions Pro 13 (49'46") Bal kabosy 1994 Mars 10 (41'28") Madagascar Spirit 1993 Anima Music - Madagascar I 1993 Globe Style Records - One Eye on the Future, One Eye on the Past 1992 Shanachie 17 (64'00") Island of Ghosts 1991 Real World 17 (48'20") Madagascar 1988 Celluloid 19 (69'47") Nehmt die Kabosy, spielt die Valiha: Lieder aus Madagaskar 1983 Fun Records -