The Hira Gasy: A folkloric battle of speeches, songs, and dances
The Hira Gasy is primarily a street performance held in any open space (streets, sports fields, church courtyards, rice fields, etc.) as long as there is enough room and the troupe deems the location capable of gathering a crowd. Ideally, two troupes face off in the middle of a circular audience. Each takes turns delivering an opening speech, performing philosophical songs, and executing acrobatic dances. Spectators judge the performances by applauding and tossing coins! True Hira Gasy is rarely performed today, except in rural areas—such as during an itinerant countryside trek through Imerina—and for special events like the Hira Gasy Makotrokotroka, organized annually for the past ten years by the Antananarivo Regional Tourism Office (ORTANA).
Origins of the Hira Gasy
Hira Gasy is a typically Merina art form, originating from the Highlands. It is believed to have been created during the reign of Andrianampoinimerina (1789–1810). After unifying the Imerina kingdoms in 1803, the king sought ways to nourish and entertain his people following a long period of war. The original purpose of Hira Gasy was reportedly to entertain and relax workers on construction sites and rice fields.
Costumes and musical instruments
As a form of entertainment, the costumes are highly colorful.
- Men: Long red jackets paired with typically black trousers, a lamba (a wide sash) draped diagonally across the upper body, and a Panama-style hat.
-Women: Brightly colored long dresses (orange, red, green, violet, blue, sometimes with floral patterns), optionally paired with a lamba over the shoulders.
Musical instruments include drums (both small and large), trumpets, clarinets, sodina (a Malagasy flute), and lokanga (a Malagasy violin).
How a performance unfolds
A Hira Gasy performance can last for hours, usually at least 1.5 hours. Whenever the audience is pleased, surprised, or dazzled by a dance or song lyric, they applaud enthusiastically and sometimes toss coins. The audience forms a circle, and the performers also position themselves in a circle, ensuring everyone can hear them as they sing without microphones. During the performance, the artists rotate clockwise so everyone gets a chance to see them face-on.
The first troupe enters the stage to the sound of drumbeats and thunderous applause—this is the sasitehaka. Everyone takes their place: spectators form a circle while the artists move to the center. The women may even take a moment to finish their makeup!
Once everyone is ready, the ceremony begins with a speech, or kabary. The mpikabary (orator) removes their hat and delivers a long and complex discourse, incorporating hain-teny (elaborate expressions), tonon-kalo (poetry), and ohabolana (proverbs of folk wisdom). Humor is often sprinkled throughout, especially when discussing the country’s political situation or marriage. At the end, the orator invites the next performers to take the stage.
The Structure of the Performance
- ### Music and Song
The next segment begins with subdued music played by the troupe’s musicians. Singers form a circle or line up facing each other (men facing women) and start singing. The lyrics, like a dissertation, address themes such as politics, society, love, or marriage. The goal is always to impart a lesson or moral, sometimes concluding with a question for the audience to reflect on silently or aloud. This phase is called the renihira.
- ### Dance
The dancers then take over, performing with hand movements (latsi-tanana) for the women and footwork for the men. These moves often draw from diamanga (traditional martial art) and sometimes include acrobatics. This segment is called the dihy.
- ### Finale
The performance ends with the anakira, a final, shorter song. This segment is also known as vakodrazana, which is often mistaken for Hira Gasy itself. However, vakodrazana is just one component of Hira Gasy.
© Détours Madagascar - January 9, 2020