ABSTRACT
A central figure in the tsapiky scene in Tulear, Madagascar, the guitarist Damily is a major presence in a musical genre that is strongly rooted in local practices and whose regional appeal has recently expanded to the national and international levels. In crossing boundaries from Madagascar to France - from the environment of Tulear, where the music scene blends village ceremonies, cassettes, and dust-dances to the Western music stage and world musics - Damily represents the pulse of the musical genre that he helped create and of which he is now the standard-bearer and “ambassador.” Damily’s itinerary also demonstrates important problems raised by globalization, migration, inter-cultural relations, and processes of identification.
