D'Gary performing at The Skirball Center, 2002.
Ernest Randrianasolo – better known to Madagascan music fans as D'Gary – was born in the Madagascan capital, Antananarivo, 1961. He is a descendent of the Bara tribe, a nomadic people who traditionally made their living herding oxen across the plains of the central south.
...D'Gary's style is disconcerting to say the least. Listen closely to his music and you'll swear there must be at least two guitarists playing. This illusion stems from D'Gary's penchant for "open tunings" (a special technique he has developed through years of patient research and which, needless to say, he keeps totally secret!) Open tunings are actually nothing new in musical terms. In fact, they form the basis of tsapiky, the music that influenced D’Gary so strongly in his early years. However, in tsapiky musicians change only one string while D'Gary alters several. Some critics have claimed that D'Gary's unique playing style attempts to reproduce the sound of the marovany (the traditional Madagascan frame box zither). But D'Gary's secret techniques actually make his guitar sound more like the lokanga (the traditional violin which plays such a major role in the Bara's havoria).... ( more )
RFiMusique.com , Radio France Internationale
