Njara Rasolo: From Finland to Madagascar

Njara Rasolo, a dancer from Madagascar, honed his skills in street dance and contemporary dance with local mentors before excelling in break dance. He has been a member of Compagnie Up The Rap since 1997, touring Europe for five years. Rasolo's journey took him to Tanzania, where his group Contagious won the national dance championship and placed fourth in the African championship in Ghana. Moving to Finland, he studied ballet and modern jazz at Tamara Rasmussen Opisto and caught the attention of the director of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Finland in Helsinki, leading to a solo performance at an Africa-themed exhibition.

Drwina: The Call of the Antsalegy

Drwina, a young guitarist, singer, and composer, initially engaged in rap and reggae before finding his calling in the traditional music of his hometown, Diego Suarez, Madagascar. He researched the musical heritage of the region and was inspired by the salegy rhythm, along with other local singing styles such as antsa, jijy, and kôro. By blending these elements, he created his unique style called antsalegy. Drwina's exploration of musical genres, including the highland bà-gasy, and his role in the film 'Dzaomalaza et les mille soucis' further affirmed his musical direction, which has been positively received.

La Réunion Kely: Its Canal, Its Slums

La Réunion Kely, a slum area, is home to around 300 families, including 1,500 individuals with 60% being children, living in extreme poverty with makeshift houses barely two meters long. Amédée Rajoelison, the area's president since 2007, describes the community's struggle to survive through selling and repairing items like radios and phones. Despite health risks, some residents resort to fishing in the polluted Andriantany canal. The community faces unsanitary conditions, frequent illnesses, and a death per month, with children and women most vulnerable. They lack access to healthcare and official identification documents, and while occasional aid comes, they primarily seek proper housing and sanitation from the state.

Andralanitra: A World of Waste

In the 18-hectare Andralanitra dump, 3,000 scavengers, including men, women, and children, sift through garbage to find items to resell, a task that has become more challenging during the rainy season. Some scavengers, like Ny, specialize in extracting copper from jeans' zippers, while others, like Michel, collect charcoal, wood, and bones. Despite the health risks from toxic fumes causing respiratory diseases, the scavengers persist, occasionally finding valuables like gold or silver jewelry, or even foreign currency. The presence of newborn corpses among the trash highlights the country's poverty. Complaints from nearby villagers about smoke-related coughs and asthma have led to an official ban on burning waste, although the practice continues.

Wild Pepper is in Danger

Madagascar's wild pepper, particularly the 'tsiperifery' variety, is a key export product facing challenges due to non-renewal of plantations, leading to decreased production and quality. Despite its unique organoleptic characteristics and international demand, destructive harvesting practices are causing a scarcity of fruit-bearing plants and damaging the environment. The situation has resulted in a significant drop in exports, with a 50% decrease from 2012 to 2014, and poses a threat to the local economy and the sustainability of the wild pepper.