Madagascar’s Vaky Sehatra festival celebrates traditional arts
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In Madagascar, the Vovonambe des troupes de vakodrazana association will host its first major festival, Vaky Sehatra, in Havoria Anosy on September 27th.
The association formed in March 2026 to increase visibility for vakodrazana, traditional Malagasy performance arts, and to connect artists across the country. Fifteen groups and performers from regions including Alaotra-Mangoro, Atsiranana, Haute Matsiatra, and Amoron’i Mania will participate in the event, showcasing traditional dances particularly those from Antananarivo.
The Vovonambe currently has around twenty members and gained legal recognition through the OFNAC. Organizers created the association because they want to better understand the number of artists practicing vakodrazana, which remains difficult to determine. They plan to create a national registry of vakodrazana artists and a national database to help the Culture department track performers and groups.
Beyond cataloging existing artists, the Vovonambe aims to share vakodrazana with younger generations, including by giving presentations in schools with permission from school officials. The group also hopes to see similar organizations form for other artistic disciplines to encourage wider cultural exchange and believes vakodrazana can evolve while maintaining its cultural identity. They are already planning future events, with the long-term goal of establishing a larger festival dedicated to vakodrazana.
