Passy

Andriamampianina Rakotomalalas (Passy)’s first love was the guitar, a love which lasted until he discovered the bamboo zither valiha. In the 1970s, when he first became familiar with Malagasy musical traditions, he spent a lot of time at the Zoma, the biggest Malagasy marketplace, to listen to the numerous valiha-sellers for inspiration. Passy debuted as a professional musician as a member of “Lolo sy ny tariny”. In 1982 he left Madagascar for Paris and also opened his valiha-playing to musical influences from Europe. His ability to combine different musical cultures into one makes him a very sought-after musician. Despite the limitations the diatonic scale of the valiha creates, he continues to give new impulses to the playing style of this fascinating string instrument.