Everybody sings in Madagaskar, on every occasion. When getting up in the morning, during work, with friends in the evening. Songs to share one's joy, to express sorrow, to continue one's work, to protest against injustice to yourself, to declare one's love or friendship. Singing is indissolubly connected to daily life.
The Gellé sisters come from a very musical family from the South of Madagascar. Their father is the accordionist in the Ifotake village. He never fails to turn up on official gatherings. Their brother Dadah de Fort-Dauphin is a celebrity on the island -his music is present everywhere. As little girls the sisters sang in a choir that accompanied the local griots (or sairy or mpibeko as they are called in Madagascar) during their ceremonies. They also won prizes at festivals, together with their mother, aunts, brothers and other sisters. Then they went their seperate ways.
By coincidence -or by the guiding hand of faith- they met again in Europe two years ago. Singing together again came naturally: songs from their home country and new compositions in the traditional style. They recorded some of these songs and sent the tape to the festival 'Kleurrijk Talent' (colourful talent), a song contest for migrant artists. In 1998 they won the finals with their second concert ever! As a result they were invited for festivals like Dranouter Folkfestival (Belgium), Dunya, Festival Mundial (both Netherlands) and -more recently- to do a showcase on Popkomm in Cologne (Germany). The coming months the trio will be on tour in the Netherlands, Germany (including a showcase on Womex), Austria, Switzerland and France.
Tiharea means wealth, not in the sense of money, but on a cultural and spiritual level. The group sings in the language of the Antandroy, the inhabitants of southern Madagascar. The best description for the music is life's poetry. The songs are about homesickness and yearning, love and luck, the injustice of polygamy, your destiny you cannot run away from, about jealousy and the wealth of a life filled with music.
Early 2000 the sisters returned briefly to Madagascar to visit their family. They sang, showed the videos of their performances, told about their plans to record a cd. 'Unbelievable', an aunt cried, 'our girls are becoming famous in Europe with their music!'
Hoe Raho
Tiharea Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tsy hoe negne na rererere
Ty lia an-dafe agne
Fa hipai'ia ty raha hahasoa
Ty raha ho hane
Hoe raho'e! agne ty ama'ai'i agne'e! e!
Hoe raho'e! agne ty androy agne'e! e!
Tsy vonoe n'arete ty ondaty androy agne
Tsy marare n'arete ty ondaty androy agne
Fa marare marandrano
Hakeregne'e! hoe mampinegne
Haetane'e! ry aba tena mampijale
Tetekey nandrary roanga
Zinama ty valala
Avily isa-minitra ty ambe ambala
Mba himpaliavagne jala
O! ry fanjaka mitoliha ty afara fa kotara
Atoraho lavitse ty eretseretse, mba anagno'areo hevetse
Zo mahazo'o! ze androy ao zao!!
Raha raty ry aba ty kere, tsy mampahilala ondaty bey,
Avily i abe'ey tsy amy ty vilie
Havily hane, be tsy heregn'andro fa lany.
Raha raty ry aba ty kere,
Homagne i vare mitsangagn'ey aby ndra ty ondaty bey,
Megnatse miondrekondreke, homagne tsy mitolike,
Nahareo ondaty bey minday ty tane toy: vazoho'areo ry aba ty androy.
Tiharea
Hametraka hevitra
The song "Hoe Raho" by Tiharea is a complex expression of emotions and ideas, centered around the concept of identity and self-discovery. The lyrics are in Malagasy, the language spoken in Madagascar, and talk about the difficulty of knowing oneself and finding one's place in the world. The first stanza talks about the confusion and ambiguity of identity, how it is not a simple matter of being one thing or another. The second stanza uses natural metaphors to express the idea that identity is a fluid and changing thing, something that cannot be pinned down easily.
The chorus, "Hoe Raho'e! Agne ty ama'ai'i agne'e! E! Hoe Raho'e! Agne ty androy agne'e! E!", can be translated as "Who am I? I am who I am! Who am I? I am myself!" It encapsulates the central theme of the song, which is the struggle of self-discovery and self-acceptance. The third stanza uses more explicit language to express this idea, talking about the need to embrace oneself and not be ashamed of who one is. The fourth stanza uses imagery of nature to talk about the need to be true to oneself and not try to be something one is not.
Overall, "Hoe Raho" is a powerful and evocative song that speaks to the universal theme of self-discovery and the struggle for self-acceptance. The lyrics are rich in metaphor and imagery, and the music has a haunting and ethereal quality that reinforces the emotional impact of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Tsy hoe negne na rererere
Don't mistake, it's not a coincidence
Ty lia an-dafe agne
I'm looking around and observing
Fa hipai'ia ty raha hahasoa
I'll greet you warmly with a smile
Ty raha ho hane
If you ever need me
Hoe raho'e! agne ty ama'ai'i agne'e! e!
Let's go there! To the place where we belong!
Hoe raho'e! agne ty androy agne'e! e!
Let's go there! To my land!
Tsy vonoe n'arete ty ondaty androy agne
I don't forget the beauty of my land
Fa vonoe ty hamosare
But I also see the struggles
Tsy marare n'arete ty ondaty androy agne
I won't forget the joy of my land
Fa marare marandrano
But sometimes it also rains
Hakeregne'e! hoe mampinegne
Let's work hard and strive for better
Haetane'e! ry aba tena mampijale
We can do it, my dear friend
Tetekey nandrary roanga
The red soil is waiting for us
Zinama ty valala
The sweet scent of herbs fills the air
Avily isa-minitra ty ambe ambala
Let's take a short break under the mango tree
Mba himpaliavagne jala
And refresh ourselves with some water
O! ry fanjaka mitoliha ty afara fa kotara
Oh! King of the forest, with your tall branches and leaves
Atoraho lavitse ty eretseretse, mba anagno'areo hevetse
Take me up to your top, so I can see the whole world
Zo mahazo'o! ze androy ao zao!!
I feel it! The power of my land!!
Raha raty ry aba ty kere, tsy mampahilala ondaty bey,
If you ever feel down, don't forget your roots
Avily i abe'ey tsy amy ty vilie
Remember the stories that were passed down
Havily hane, be tsy heregn'andro fa lany.
Hold on tight to them, even if the days are long and tiring.
Raha raty ry aba ty kere,
If you ever feel down,
Homagne i vare mitsangagn'ey aby ndra ty ondaty bey,
Look to the sky and find strength from your ancestors
Megnatse miondrekondreke, homagne tsy mitolike,
Let their wisdom guide you and never give up
Nahareo ondaty bey minday ty tane toy: vazoho'areo ry aba ty androy.
And then you will walk on the earth like you're flying: you are the child of the land.
Tiharea
Tiharea
Contributed by Liliana H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@begotdorval1486
Soa ty anolo fe ty antegna tsy soa lahy merci infiniment avec le de revoir un jour sa donne beaucoup de courage et l espoir votre chance une longe vie pour les malgaches avec un grand changement pour ses peuple
J ais écoute r cette groupe
Grâce à you tube
Était un coup de foudre
Merci
Cordialement,
Dorval clara
@sabineweber206
love it - this is my favourtie song of Tiharea - I saw them 2004 her in Nuremberg at the Bardentreffen Music Festival & bought later on their two CD's - This song above is on their second CD 'Ry Ampela', which is Tiharea's best album.
@kakanjilazahmanjah7901
quel voix!! merci beaucoup pour cette belle chanson du sud ! comme si je ne suis pas sur terre ! MEDITATION totale! TIHAREA ( RESPECT)
@splendidehotel3460
any ty @nay any! tsy vonoiny aretina ny any @nay any fa vonoiny mosary! woaoo! ça c'est vraiment de la chanson de la liberté.
heuresement qu'il y a ces artistes qui évoquent leurs sentiments,leur souffrance à travers leurs chansons.
ils sont fait appelle au gouvernement,malgré tout qui ne veut pas faire face à la verité.
@kerriejacks3440
zaho lasa malahelo fona a chaques fois mihaino hira toy
@milissa974
Bonjour pouvez vous me donner la traduction de la chanson svp
@tsioryandriamifidy
@@milissa974 elles parlent de la dureté de la vie dans le sud de Mada à cause de la sécheresse entrainant ainsi la famine
@milissa974
@@tsioryandriamifidy merci beaucoup à vous .
@navarosamantha7421
Best song in the world ❤❤ ça fait fondre mon coeur à chaque fois que je l'écoute 💔 tsy vonoan'arety ty ndaty androy agny fa vonoa ty hamosary, tsy mararin'arety ty ndaty Androy agny fa marary mara-ndrano 😔😢
@user-uy2kz5rl9p
Magnifique j'adore l'histoire de la culture Malgache 😊❤ en musique on se laisse emporter .....
@manampisoaraveloarison1703
Quelles belles voix magnifiques et uniques