V/A Ote Maloya - The Birth Of Electric Maloya In La Réunion 1975-1986 2LP

+ 12 STR. BOOKLET

- First ever international compilation of 1970s maloya scene on Réunion Island
- includes extensive sleeve notes tracing the history of the culture across four
centuries
- DJ support from Gilles Peterson, Lauren Laverne, Mr Scruff and more
- Essential follow up to Strut compilation ‘Soul Sok Séga


Strut present a brand new compilation
documenting the groundbreaking maloya
scene on Réunion Island from the mid-
‘70s, as Western instrumentation joined
traditional Malagasy, African and Indian
acoustic instruments to spark a whole era
of new fusions and creativity. Compiled by
Réunionese DJ duo La Basse Tropicale, ‘Oté
Maloya’ follows up last year’s acclaimed
‘Soul Sok Séga’ release on Strut.
Traditional maloya, originally called “séga”,
described the songs, music and dances
of slaves on the sugar plantations of
Réunion Island in the 17th Century – maloya
ceremonies paid tribute to ancestors and
mediated between the living and the dead.
The music and culture began to be more
widely accepted by Réunionese society from
the 1930s as folklorist Georges Fourcade
began to play maloya songs. By the ‘50s,
maloya tracks were appearing on 78rpm
releases and, in the ‘60s, it was used as a
form of cultural protest music.
In the mid-‘70s, a new generation began
exploring new directions in the music, using
Créole language; many were self-taught
and learned their craft in 1960s dance
band “orchestres”. André Chan-Kam-Shu’s
Studio Royal in the south of the island
became the main hub for experimentation
and collaboration. Most notably, the band
Caméléon honed their sound here – with
maloya legends Alain Peters and vocalist
Hervé Imare involved, Caméléon became
the leading collective on the scene, using
poetic lyrics and creating their own potent
fusion of maloya, jazz and psychedelia.
‘Oté Maloya’ tells the story of this fertile
period in Réunion Island music for the first
time and features the full spectrum of
maloya styles. From Caméléon’s genius to
the teenage Michou’s classic ‘Maloya Ton
Tisane’, Daniel Sandié’s breakbeat sleeper
‘Défoule 3e Age’ and more traditional styles
from Maxime Lahope and Pierrot Vidot, this
is an essential trip through a lost era of
Indian Ocean blues and soul.
‘Oté Maloya’ is released with an extensive
booklet on CD and LP featuring a history
of maloya by Nathalie Valentine Legros of 7
Lames Lamer. All tracks are fully remastered
by The Carvery.