The French Institute of Madagascar hosted a workshop on February 3, 2024 in Antananarivo organized by “Madagaslam”, an association which brings together the slam scene on a national scale. The opportunity for several young urban poets to say out loud what is often silenced or whispered. Starting with their political concerns.
2 mins
With our correspondent in Antananarivo, Pauline Le Troquier
“ Give me the President of the Republic, Mr. President… There are too many sacrifices to save a life. » Once on stage, they seem almost untouchable. No disguise or instruments to accompany these slammers. Only their words and straightforward messages to convey. “ Every morning and every evening, politicians break our heads. If they knew that you don’t need a road map to play good football. »
Social and gender inequalities, racism, corruption, with loud and incisive words. The poets – aged 15 to 30 – denounce, rebel, propose solutions.
“ Youth in Madagascar do not dare to say what they want to say »
For this generation, slam has become a sort of outlet, assures Perf, workshop leader: “ The youth to Madagascar Don’t you dare say what she means. It kills them from the inside. Slam is a good way to make leaders understand that things are going badly. Even if it’s raw sometimes, in a poetic way, it’s much more beautiful to hear. »
Beyond a political commitment, slam is also about succeeding in expressing one’s most intimate emotions. Idealy, 24 years old, under the lively encouragement of the public, finds the courage to talk about love: “ It’s February, there’s love in the air right now (laughter). It’s really, really hard to tell someone I love them. That’s why I wrote it, it’s easier for me than saying it to your face. Plus, she was there… So that made things even harder. »
Since its beginnings around fifteen years ago, the slam scene has only grown in popularity among young people in Madagascar. A breath of fresh air and a precious freedom of tone for this generation.
Read alsoReport Africa – Slam, an essential artistic genre in Abidjan