Eusèbe Jaojoby preserves Madagascar's salegy musical tradition

Eusèbe Jaojoby has spent nearly 50 years as a prominent figure in the preservation and promotion of salegy, a traditional musical style from Madagascar.

Born in 1955 in Amboangibe, Jaojoby grew up in a family where he learned traditional songs and performed in his village. He moved to the city of Diego-Suarez at age 15, where he began a professional singing career with the group Los Matadores at the Le Saïgonais club.

Jaojoby helped shape the modern salegy style by blending traditional 6/8 rhythmic chants with modern Western instruments. This musical evolution allowed the genre to reach an international audience while maintaining its roots. Beyond his music, Jaojoby served as a radio journalist after training in East Berlin in 1982 and also worked as an advisor to the presidency of Madagascar. The artist now expresses concern for the environmental state of his home country.

He notes that the land is being depleted and forests are being burned, leading to water shortages. Jaojoby hopes that the younger generation will unite to stop the destruction of the planet to ensure a better quality of life for the people of Madagascar.