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Moloney years - nothing. You should try Madagascar time. 1.30 we agreed, at the Ministry. 2.45 I got a call Ny Andry's friend. "We are at the Queen's Palace where are you? Can you come here now?"
It's a 35 minute walk up hill all the way.
I got there at 3.11 in world record time to listen to children from the musical conservatory sing quite beautifully in the Palace of Justice where they used to guillotine people. As Ny Andry's friend said "Now people will remember it for something else." Personally I have my doubts.
I have to say it was lovely. About 20+ children aged from about 7 to 16 singing traditional music accompanied by two acoustic guitars, a shaker thing and a valiha which is a fat piece of bamboo with strings arranged all around the tube which are plucked. Looks very difficult to play and sounds like a higher pitched harp. The weather was warm, 26/7 but there was a breeze blowing across the top of the hill and the Palace of Justice is made just of doric columns with no walls so we got the full benefit and a fine view over north east Tana.
Too much speechifying after the performance but Ny Andry's friend, who MC-ed the whole thing, invited me through to the nibbles after so I tucked into rice cakes, which tasted like sweet pancakes, and papaya juice.
I keep referring to Ny Andry's friend because I don't know his name. Yesterday at the rugby I heard him referred to as Erie and Peter so today I asked Ny Andry. "I don't know" was his answer. "Volatiana and I call him Pal but some people call him MacAvery. I really don't know what his name is."
I am supposed to see him tomorrow and I will ask him.
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