Last week, Gibson Guitar Corp. reached a deal with the U.S. government, which was prosecuting the company for illegally importing timber from Madagascar. The company will pay about $350,000 in fines and damages in exchange for having the criminal case dropped. Gibson has also given up its claim to another $250,000 worth of seized exotic wood. The company uses the ebony to make fretboards for its instruments.
This settlement is a small victory for Madagascar and for a group of musicians from the world’s fourth largest island. Earlier this summer, a North American tour billed as Wake Up Madagascar was raising awareness about the problem of illegal logging in the country.
Malagasy musicians Razia Said, Jaojoby, Charles Kely and Saramba are using their music to tell the world about how deforestation is devastating their country. The idea for the concert tour came after Razia organized a festival on the edge of the Masoala Rainforest last October. After the success in their own country, they are taking their message to the world.
Watch a short documentary about the problem called Something’s Moving in the Forest.
The Wake Up Madagascar concert tour was in Toronto recently at Lula Lounge, presented by Batuki Music Society and Cumbancha. The musicians filled the dance floor with their great grooves and talked between sets about deforestation. Their message was delivered joyfully but its importance was not lost.
The tour will be back in North American next spring.
Here are two more examples of great tunes by Razia and Jaojoby:
Razia “Mifohaza”
Jaojoby "Mahangoma"
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