Hira Gasy; African Theatre for Development

Introduction

Hira Gasy, also known as "vakodrazana" (literally the tradition of the ancestors), is a day-long popular show combining theatre, song, dance and kabary oratory. It was developed around traditional Merina practices in the 18^th century by King Andrianampoinimerina to draw crowds whenever he wanted to make an important speech (Kabary) or convey important messages to his subjects. The King was always accompanied by a troupe of mpi-Hira Gasy (Hira Gasy collective) during his appearances, to communicate with the people, much to their delight as it was also the best form of entertainment at the time.

From its royal origins, the art form developed many community and regional iterations, so that by the twentieth century, it had spread around the island of Madagascar. The messages also changed and adopted many different types of messages. A Hira Gasy show is best known for its wealth of teachings on themes as varied as love, the fatherland, duty, marriage, the parent-child relationship, home-grown values such as "fihavanana", "tsiny" and "tody", and so on. All of this is done with a great deal of sarcasm and humour, sparing no category of spectator: child, young person, adult, man or woman. Messages developed by troupes more recently such as malaria prevention, protection of the environment and other development communication priorities also feature in Hira Gasy shows. In rural areas, gatherings only come alive when the "mpiHira Gasy" appears.

A troupe is usually developed by members of the same family. Often, the group itself is named after the family that started it. Different groups specialise on different topics because competition is very high and so performances always have to be of a very high standard.

While Hira Gasy continues to be inseparable from certain ancestral traditions such as "famadihana", i.e. the turning over of the dead (when Malagasy exhume the remais of their dead relatives and spend a day with them), and even circumcisions in rural areas, it is increasingly present at festivities in urban areas.  Organising such a show adds a special touch to any ceremony. It is not uncommon to see vakodrazana being honoured in the capital's major hotels for weddings, engagements and birthdays.

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Format of the Hira Gasy

Hira Gasy performances have different formats. Sometimes, there is only one theatre group on stage. Other times, there is a face-off between two groups. This can get very interesting because the winner is determined by the energy of the crowd. A show follows the following stages:

1. The Sasitehaka: the male members take centre stage and start tuning their instruments or playing a few notes for the crowd.

2. The Mpikabary (Making Kabary): the troupe leader takes off their hat and formally invites the rest of the band to come onstage. They announce the theme of the show (indray miditra) through kabary - traditional poetry incorporating ohabolana (proverbs).

3. The Renihira (Queen Song): The singers of the group form a circle facing outward and sing in harmony on the selected theme while the musicians, seated to the side, accompany them.

4. The Dihy (Dance): The singers take a seat on the ground while the musicians play behind one, two or several dancers who will perform for approximately 15 minutes. A kabary (kabarindihy) is presented on the topic of the dance to be performed and announces the title of the song that accompanies it. There are two typical forms of dance that may be performed. The true Dihy is typically performed by two dancers and the style is often acrobatic or takes its inspiration from martial arts. The Tsikandihy or Dihy Irery is typically performed by one male dancer, occasionally accompanied by a female dancer. The dancing segment is concluded with another short kabary that again touches on the theme of the performance and introduces the final part.

5. The Zanakira or Vakodrazana: A short performance lasting approximately 20 minutes that concludes the spectacle.

The Hira Gasy show takes place in the open air, with spectators forming a circle around the singers. The most famous mpiHira Gasy groups are the ones who consistently win their face-offs. As well as oral literature and song, folk dances are an essential part of Hira Gasy. Here, the women practise hand and shoulder movements known as "latsi-tanana" and "dia soroka" respectively, while the men indulge in leg movements or "diamanga" and even acrobatic dances.

The crowds often go crazy when young people take to the stage and perform difficult, fast-paced dances that closely resemble fighting techniques, all to the sound of the drums.

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The attire and instruments

The mpiHira Gasy are distinguished by their traditional dress, which generally consists of a particularly long dress adorned with lace for the women, and a typically Malagasy tunic called a "malabary" for the men. These costumes are brightly coloured, usually red for the men and green or pink for the women. The women's hair is always in 'Tanavoho' style, a haircut specific to Malagasy women from the central highlands, while the men wear the famous straw hat.

At least three types of musical instrument accompany a mpiHira Gasy band: the drum or "amponga", the violin or "lokanga" and the flute or "sodina". Depending on the group, the trombone, trumpet and/or accordion may be added to these instruments.

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Popular culture

Hira Gasy is often used to spread development communication messages. They are particularly powerful in using song and poetry to educate people on managing different challenges such as malaria, water shortages, famine, Covid and much more. Although many groups shun politics, some Hira Gasy troupes develop routines that criticise wrong things that they see in government or society: corruption, nepotism…There are a few that are known to clearly align with some political parties and campaign for them actively during elections.

With the aim of promoting this Madagascan cultural heritage, the Analamanga Regional Tourist Office (Ortana) organises a "Hira Gasy makotrokotroka" festival every year. These are free shows and duels between "MpiHira Gasy" troupes held every Sunday for two months. The idea is to perpetuate the art form as well as attract visitors to partake in the culture.  

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