"Ry Tanindrazanay malala ô", story of a heckled Malagasy national anthem
Print of the original of the score for "Ry Tanindrazanay Malala ô" hand-annotated by Norbert Raharisoa, the composer.Print of the original of the score for "Ry Tanindrazanay Malala ô" hand-annotated by Norbert Raharisoa, the composer.
Sarah Tétaud / RFI
Text by: Sarah Tétaud Follow
6 min
In May 1959, the national anthem of the very young Republic of Madagascar was officially presented to the people.
However, as with the flag, it will not be unanimous and will be the target of violent criticism.
Story behind the choice of this patriotic song.
Publicity
Read more
With our correspondent in Antananarivo
On October 14, 1958, Madagascar, although still a colony of France, entered a new era by becoming a Republic, the first in its history.
Consequently, the power in place decides to quickly equip itself with attributes specific to this new regime.
Several competitions are launched to define a flag, a motto, but also a national anthem.
In early 1959, a call for projects was launched on Radio Tananarive.
Malagasy citizens are asked to send a recording of the song, melody and lyrics, which they will have designed and which they would like to raise to the rank of the country's national anthem.
Criteria - some of which are quite technical - are imposed on candidates.
Criteria to stand out from the Marseillaise
“
The anthem had to be playable with an instrument that could be used everywhere in Madagascar.
Like the flute, for example, which is an instrument that can be found even in the depths of the bush
”, explains Tsiory Randriamanantena, historian and director of the Madagascar Photography Museum.
“
The second criterion indicated that the melody could be transcribed into music theory
” - a heritage bequeathed by the Protestant missions in the 18th century - so that it could be read and played all over the country.
Another criterion stated: that the hymn represents the whole island, both in terms of lyrics, rhythm and melody.
"
And finally
", underlines the historian, "
ultimate criterion, it was necessary that the words of this hymn evoke peace and harmony, unlike La Marseillaise (the French national anthem, note) which at the time, was considered a bellicose song.
"
“Ry Tanindrazanay Malala ô” controversial for its place of creation
In three months, 68 anthem proposals were sent to the
ad hoc
committee
, specially formed to select the song.
In April 1959, its members made their decision: it was
Ry Tanindrazanay Malala ô
, translated into French as “Ô beloved land of our ancestors” who was chosen.
The melody is the work of composer Norbert Raharisoa;
the lyrics are the fruit of the writing of the famous pastor of the Highlands, pastor Rahajason.
On May 1, 1959, on the occasion of the inauguration of President Tsiranana, the hymn was heard for the first time in the walls of the Mahamasina stadium in the heart of the capital.
In the streets of Antananarivo, leaflets with the printed words are distributed so that the population can appropriate it as quickly as possible.
The radio stations broadcast the new Malagasy patriotic song in a loop.
But the Big Island is not yet independent.
It is a Republic, autonomous certainly, but still "member of the French Community".
As the protocol requires, the Malagasy anthem is therefore automatically followed by a Marseillaise.
And it is in this context that the first criticisms resound.
“
From the first day, the anthem is badly received.
Firstly, because we learn that the composer, Norbert Raharisoa, has lived in France for a long time, and that it is from France that he composed the melody.
And that constitutes an unstoppable argument for the critics of the anthem who consider it to be disconnected from the realities of the country.
Secondly, this melody is criticized for being "mixed", for having influences from French music schools, for not being 100% Malagasy.
He is criticized for his lack of harmony.
Worse, we pretend not to recognize the Malagasy rhythm in it,
”continues Tsiory Randriamanantena.
The organization of the competition criticized
But it is also the conditions and organization of this call for projects that are problematic.
A recorded version was requested from the candidates.
However, at that time, it was difficult to access the technical tools that allow such an achievement.
Only the wealthiest can afford this madness.
Radio Tananarive then volunteered to record the soundtracks of the candidates.
But several testimonies report that several of them who were able to make the trip to the capital were not received by the radio station.
The composition of the
ad hoc
committee
- 100% male - is also debated.
If the six politicians come from the six provinces, eight of the nine technicians specializing in musicology come from the capital and come from the Merina ethnic group.
"
Many therefore consider that these members are not representative of the entire island, which tarnishes the image of this competition, organized in haste and in the greatest discretion
", concludes the historian.
Critics that will endure
In the early 1960s, the criticisms which had been tempered by the effervescence of Independence resurfaced, before fading for about fifteen years.
In 1975, the Ratsiraka regime and the policy of Malgachism brought back to the fore the possibility of a change of anthem.
The idea was abandoned and only reappeared in 1992 when politicians proposed to replace the
Ry Tanindrazanay Malala ô
by another no less famous song, the
Madagascar Tanindrazanay!
, hymn of the MDRM party, at the time at the Hit-Parade of the music most listened to by Malagasy people.
After discussions, the idea is discarded.
“
Ry Tanindrazanay Malala,
Ry Madagasikara soa,
Ny Fitiavanay anao tsy miala,
Fa ho anao, ho anao doria tokoa.
",
“
O beloved land of our ancestors,
O beautiful country of Madagascar,
Our love for you will not weaken
And will remain eternally faithful to your cause.
"
Sixty-two years after this controversial choice, the same tune and the same words continue to resonate all over the island, at every important event in public life.
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Madagascar
History
our selection