WOMAD

NJava

From Madagascar

Njava is made up of five brothers and sisters from Madagascar. Growing up in a very musical family with fifteen siblings, they scored national hits before moving to Europe in the 90s.Since then, the group has been awarded prizes from Radio France Internationale, Voice of Asia, Africolor, Transmusicales de Rennes, and Womex. Njava has toured throughout Europe and performed at leading world music festivals in North America. Two superlative CDs were recorded for EMI, Vetse and Source. In 2002 guitarist Dozzy quit the group and was replaced by Dada. A third album, Vox Populi, is currently set for release in October 2005. In Madagascar, the members of Njava are major celebrities. Not only for having made it in the outside world, but for the high quality of their work: Malagasy musicians have enormous respect for the group. Musically, Madagascar may well be the richest country in Africa. Raucous salegy in the north, spicy tsapiky in the south. Unworldly chants of Antandroy herders. Flamboyant operetta on the plateau. Njava assiduously studied and absorbed the island’s rich musical heritage. Yet they have a modern, sophisticated outlook. The result is an unusually wide range of musical expression firmly anchored in tradition, yet truly innovative.Onstage, Njava explodes with a mix of tradition and today, drama and rhythm. Monika and Lala harmonize as only sisters can, yet display two very distinct voices and personalities. Pata excites the crowd with virtuosic drumming. Maximin controls loops, samples, filters, electric guitar and bass. Dada grooves on bass and plays traditional guitar or butterfly lines on the stringed valiha. In addition to performing with the platinum-selling group Deep Forest, the two sisters Monika and Lala run the Dames D’amour foundation to help poor women in their ancestral village of Vohipeno. As part of this project Monika has published ‘The Njava Cookbook’.