Toronto Blues Society | » There… and Back Again

There… and Back Again

Published September 1, 1996 in Features
Madagascar Ben

Madagascar Ben

Madagascar Ben

Randriamananjara Radofa Besata, better known in blues circles as Madagascar Ben is a featured performer at the TBS event called “World Blues” being held at 2pm, Sunday, October 6 in the Water’s Edge Cafe at Harbourfront Centre.Toronto’s Irshad Kahn will be playing sitar in this exploration of international blues expression.


Madagascar Slim aka Madagascar Ben< would be known to many TBS members from his club work with Steven C. and the Red Rockets. A wicked straight up electric guitarist, Slim has explored his Malagasy heritage in recent years after making contact with Paris based bluesman, Tao Ravao and the band Tarika at local appearances. Invited to perform the opening slot for Ali Farka Toure and to play the TBS Downchild/Afronubians gig. Slim has had the opportunity to cross over his blues interests with his Malagasy roots. The story of his exploration follows.

When I left Madagascar 17 years ago for Canada, I had two musical loves. One was Jimi Hendrix and the other, a local band named Ny Antsaly. Where all my malagasy friends knew about my devotion for Hendrix, I kept my passion for Ny Antsaly a secret because being a fan of a local band was not considered very “cool” at that time. Nonetheless the only records I brought out of Madagascar were four singles of Ny Antsaly.

In the summer of 1995, Derek Andrews advised me to attend a seminar given by the Canada Arts Council regarding musical grants. I went down to the X-Rays club where the meeting took place and collected up all the information necessary for applying. My project was to study the Valiha which is the main stringed instrument in Madagascar. My application for a grant was approved and on November 25th, 1995, I was flying to Madagascar and pinching myself occasionally just to make sure I was not dreaming.

I was tutored by a master who was none other than Sylvestre Randafison, the founding member of the band Ny Antsaly. My studies with Mr. Randafison were carried out at his home. He lived outside of town and four times a week, I took the “taxi-brousse” which literally means “bush-taxi“. That in itself was an adventure.

Mr. Randafison was a very enthusiastic and able teacher. He has taught ethnomusicology at the University of Washington State and has completed 7 years of field studies of Malagasy music. He is also the Director of the Malagasy Cultural Centre. Together, we explored the rudiments of Malagasy music and the basics of valiha playing. We went over the different types of music from the tribes of Madagascar. We concentrated mostly on the music of the (Merina) highland people. He was very happy to be involved in teaching one of the “younger generation” as he jokingly called me. I could see that he loved to share his vast knowledge. He had been afraid that after his death, no one would carry with this work.

Musically, Madagascar was everything I expected and then some. Malagasy people are bombarded by an avalanche of western music and Celine Dion, Madonna, and Boyz 2 Men reign supreme in Madagascar, just the way The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Hendrix did when I was younger. The biggest change I found in returning home was in my family and friends. In my mind, I had kept an image of them all. For years, I had treasured these memories in my heart. I cannot describe my shock when I arrived. My parents looked old, old, all wrinkled and crumpled up! My nephews who were toddlers when I left have become grown men. The only person I knew on sight was my little sister, except that now, she is a big mama with four daughters. Of course recognition dawned and we all hugged, we all cried, and then we hugged some more.

There were many highlights during my visit and I will share a few with you. An old classmate of mine owns “Le Chapiteau”, one of the most select club-restaurant in Antananarivo. This old friend asked me to play some blues at the official opening on New Years Eve. Events unfolded quickly from this moment on. My visit to Madagascar from Canada and my playing style soon made front page news headlines in the daily papers. I took part in two television interviews. In hearing the questions asked by the various reporters, I was surprised to find that they did not seem particularly interested in discussing the Malagasy music I had come over to study but they wanted to know everything about the blues and rock music scene in Canada. Only later did I realize that this was very much the way I felt about music 17 years ago.

I also had the pleasure to meet D’Gary, a Malagasy guitar virtuoso. I had the opportunity to hear him play. We discussed his music and the tours he was planning. We jammed for a while together. I was in heaven. We met later on at “Le Chapiteau” where he joined me on stage and played a couple of his songs.

While I was in Madagascar, Malagasy musicians came in droves to meet with me. Some just came to chat, others wanted to find out how they could move to Canada. As you can imagine, I had no magic formula to give them. They seem to feel that Canada is in itself, a truly magical place. I quickly realized how lucky I was, living in both worlds.

There was something rejuvenating about going back to my roots and exploring different facets of the Malagasy music. This music was inside my head and my heart and now I have truly found it. I have returned with a far better understanding of myself and the music I write and play. I am looking forward to sharing with you new sounds, new beats and new insight. For me this was “the trip of a lifetime” and I am really thankful to all of the people who helped me get there…and back again.

by Randriamananjara Radofa Besata

Donate Join TBS Volunteer

©2024 Toronto Blues Society. Design by Janine Stoll Media.
TBS logo and WBR artwork by Barbara Klunder


The Toronto Blues Society acknowledges the annual support of the Ontario Arts Council, the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council and the Department of Canadian Heritage, and project support from FACTOR< and the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Canada Music Fund) and of Canada’s Private Broadcasters, The Canada Council for the Arts, the SOCAN Foundation, SOCAN, the Ontario Media Development Corporation, and the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.