HANITRA

« For me, Hanitra is one of Madagascar’s most beautiful voices»

August Schmidhofer, Professor of Musicology, University of Vienna

Contact:

Hanitra Ranaivo 89 Rue Leconte Delisle

97430 Le Tampon – Ile de la Réunion Tel/Fax : + 262 (0)2 62 26 55 37 or (0)6 92 31 02 43

jeanmarcbontemps@orange.fr http://hanitra.com

NEWS

Hanitra in Facebook - 6000 Fans only 6 months after launching her artist’s site

New album, October 2010

My new album, entitled "Any Aminay", is now available

Musical samples from the new album: http://hanitra.com/

The album consists of 12 tracks, 10 of which being my own compositions

Most of the music was recorded in my home on the island of Réunion by sound engineer Rodolphe Gervais (Idir, Guizmo, Ray Charles, Claude Challe, Jean - Félix Lalanne).

New band formation 2010/11

Peter Beaucamps Ebongué Gilbert Mariapin Félix Antilahivola Jean – Marc Bontemps Bass/Vocals Percussion/Drums Guitar/Vocals Guitar/Vocals

Hanitra

Vocals/Guitar

BIOGRAPHY Hanitra is a singer/songwriter from Madagascar, born in 1962. At the age of 7, she started being interested in music. In 1979 she joined the band Lolo Sy Ny Tariny which became one of the most popular music groups on the island. « ...Many bands try to leave their own imprint, but Lolo Sy Ny Tariny are the ones succeeding best with that effort : a group of excellent vocalists and choir singers (eight boys and one girl, Hanitra), indirectly contributing to the opening up of the Malagasy song treasure to the outer world. The band Loly Sy Ny Tariny is definitely the initiator and catalyst of a movement assuming shape today – and becoming stronger internationally as well... » Fred Hidalgo - Madagascar "Island of Songs" Chorus No. 20, July 1997 After a tour by French singer Graeme Allwright through Madagascar, the band decides to travel to France in order to record their first album there. When she leaves her home in 1980, Hanitra leaves a whole generation in nostalgia. Thousands of fans ask themselves for several years, what the reasons for her departure on the top of her career could have been. In spite of their obvious strengths and virtues, Lolo Sy Ny Tariny cannot continue their career as a band for a long time. The group finds it extremely difficult to make a stand in the eighties without a suitable promoter, and finally they split up, their former members scattering into all directions. Hanitra now finds herself in the west of France where she continues singing. In 1997, after more than 15 years of absence and without any promotion, Hanitra returns unexpectedly to the stages of Madagascar for a series of concerts. The enthusiastic reception by media and the public encourages her to record her first solo album. She surrounds herself with the elite of Malagasy musicians and violinist Bruno Jofa who produces the album. Although the artistic qualities of this album are recognized by critics, no French label takes care of its distribution. Published in 1998 in France under the label « self-produced », the album learns how difficult it is to have success without presence in the media. The sales figures (about 2500 copies) and the personal intervention of a responsible for the company FNAC finally lead to the signing of a worldwide sales license. Several songs from this debut solo album are still found on the playlists of more than hundred African music radio stations all over the world. By adorning her haunting melodies with the rhythms from her « Red Island » as well as with Afro-Cuban and Brazilian elements, Hanitra bases her music on a tradition that embodies the new Malagasy generation with warmth and enthusiasm. Her sensual and profound voice leads us to the roots of a country full of harmony, sun and beauty, She is back with her new album « Any aminay »

RECENT AND UPCOMING CONCERTS Les Florilèges, Parc Floral, Le Tampon, Réunion, Tuesday 11 October 2011 Salle Leconte Delisle, Réunion, Saturday 29 October 2011 Le Coco beach, Réunion, Friday 11 November 2011 Les Pot’irons, Réunion, Saturday 10 December 2011 Tour in North America, Washington, New York and Montréal, from 18 December 2011 to 20 January 2012 in cooperation with Serge Rajerison, Marovavy Production New York Sauti za Busara Music Festival, Zanzibar, February 2012 Brive Plage Festival , France, Saturday 21 July 2012 Tour Brazil, December 2012, in cooperation with Catherine Schlup, Ifelaya

PREVIOUS CONCERTS

Beach Festival Brive, France, Friday, 22 July, 2011, 30-minute show, 3600 spectators Les Pot'irons, Reunion, Samstag 25. Juni, 2011, 90-minute show, 80 spectators Marché des Musiques de l’océan indien, Réunion, Tuesday, 7 June, 2011 Opening concert, 30-minute show for 100 radio programs and media from around the world Le Coco Beach, Réunion, Friday, 20 May, 2011, 90-minute show, 80 spectators Album Promo-tour in Madagascar, from 7 to 17 May 2011 2 shows of 120 minutes each, 800 x 2 spectators, many interviews with press, radio and television, including a Hanitra special broadcast by RTA TV, 90 Minutes interview and live concerts, radio broadcasts, about 500 000 listeners x2 Musiques Actuelles, Réunion, in October 2010, two 90-minute shows, 100 spectators x2 Festival du bout du monde, Crozon, France, August 2004 open air stage, two shows 45 minutes each, spectators 4000 x2 Le Dôme, St. Ave, France, October 2004, headliner, 400 spectators Festival le Monde aux Malins, Domalain, France, September 2003 headliner, 800 spectators, sold out

Les Rendez vous du canal, Malestroit, France, June 2003, fre concert, 2000 spectators La petite scène, St Nolf, France, May 2002, headliner, 400 spectators, sold out Festival Guitare et Voix du Monde, Angers, France, November 2002, 800 spectators Rodobe Festival, Paris, France, September 2002, headliner, 1500 spectators Festival de Lausanne, Switzerland, September 2001, 3000 spectators Jazz à Vannes, Opening of the festival and opening act for Dee Dee Bridgewater July 2000, 2000 spectators Musique à Pîles, Bordeaux, France, May 1999, opening act for M. Chedid, 1000 spectators Tomorrow 's Children, Helsinki, Finland, May 1998, as representative of Madagascar Since 1979, tours with Lolo sy ny tariny in Madagascar, France and other European countries: Printemps de Bourges, opening act for Graeme Allwright, Paleo Folk Festival in Nyon / Switzerland, African music festivals in Hamburg and Cologne

DISCOGRAPHY In preparation: participation in the compilation "Francophonie", 2011 The title "Any aminay" from the latest album of the same name by Hanitra was chosen for the next musical compilation published by the International Organisation of Francophonie. In preparation: participation in the compilation WORLD AND PLURIEL, 2011 The title « Folaky ny andro » from Hanitra’s most recent album was chosen to appear on the next compilation album published by Pôle Régional des Musiques Actuelles de la Réunion. HANITRA "ANY AMINAY" (Oktober 2010) Hanitra Ranaivo Productions MUSICAL POSTCARD FROM EASTERN AFRICA (2007) Editions Atlas EUCD1853 WOMEN OF THE WORLD (2004) ARC Music Productions International Ltd. Compilation album with Hanitra Ranaivo, Miriam Makeba, Cristina Branco, Suzzana Owiyo, Susana Baca

EUCD1680 STARS OF AFRO-POP (2003) ARC Music Productions International Ltd. Compilation album with Hanitra Ranaivo, Cesaria Evora, Youssou N’Dour, Manu Dibango, Zap Mama, Toure Kunda und Papa Wemba EUCD 1640 HANITRA « THE NEW VOICE OF MADAGASCAR » Omeko Anao (2001) ARC Music Productions International Ltd. HAN 56012-1 HANITRA « OMEKO ANAO » (1998) Hanitra Ranaivo Productions With the band LOLO SY NY TARINY: MADAGASCAR (1993 New editions 2006 und 2010) Production WDR WORLD NETWORK CD réf. 55.835 LOLO SY NY TARINY « MANINONA » (1981 New edition 1994) Production Playa sound CD réf. 65121

EXCERPTS FROM THE PRESS Runmuzik Hanitra’s newest album is in fact one of the most beautiful productions, in any aspect, that we have received during recent years. Alain Courbis, Regional Center for Contemporary Music of Réunion, November 2010 Hanitra Ranaivo chosen by Editions Atlas for their next PR campaign The traditional song "Mandihiza", sung by Malagasy singer Hanitra Ranaivo Malagasy (ex-Lolo sy ny tariny) was chosen to musically accompany the advertising campaign by Atlas Editions, called MUSICAL POSTCARD. The collection consists of 13 volumes. 5 titles from 5 different countries on each CD Each volume comes in 20,000 copies.

«For artistic reasons, we were looking for traditional titles from each country... the quality of the song «Mandihiza» and its performance by Hanitra Ranaivo enchanted us from the very beginning...» says Arnaud DUPONT-LHOTELAIN from MUSIQUES & SOLUTIONS, producer of the project. Press communiqué Atlas Editions, 2008.08.03 Institute of Musicology - University of Vienna «For me, Hanitra is one of Madagascar’s most beautiful voices» August Schmidhofer, Professor of Comparative Musicology, Vienna Festival Jazz à Vannes The millennium edition of the festival was in no way watered down, but instead it was a complete success on all fronts. All invited artists exceeded the expectations of their audiences. Especially Nicolas Vatomanga, flutist in singer Hanitra Ranaivo’s band who opened the festival, showed an impressive performance. Le Télégramme de Brest 7 August 2000

Hanitra in Antananarivo (Madagaskar) After more than 20 years of absence on the national stage, the only female voice of the group "Lolo sy ny Tariny", Hanitra Ranaivo, has returned to the public of Antananarivo. It happened this weekend at the Auditorium of the Ecole du Sacre Coeur d'Antanimena.

The two great performances that she delivered proved, more than anything else, the fact that this singer hasn’t lost any of her musical energy during all those years of her absence. Matured by time and experience, she has not failed to show the full extent of her professionalism.

Her music is a real treat.

Hanitra also has bound such illustrious musicians as TOTY Andriamanpiamina (bass) and Pana Dourantonis (drums) to herself, with French musicians Cedric Legoff and Jean Marc Bontemps joining in. The musical connection made between them gave the impression that they have been playing together since the beginning of time.

Steve Maniry – L’Express de Madagascar, 24 February 1997

Madagascar « Island of Songs » Many bands try to leave their own imprint, but Lolo Sy Ny Tariny are the ones succeeding best with that effort : a group of excellent vocalists and choir singers (eight boys and one girl, Hanitra), indirectly contributing to the opening up of the Malagasy song treasure to the outer world. The band Loly Sy Ny Tariny is definitely the initiator and catalyst of a movement assuming shape today – and becoming stronger internationally as well...

Graeme Allwright, invited to Antananarivo in December 1979, has discovered Lolo sy ny tariny and turned out to be the personification of their destiny: "I am very impressed by her talent," he says, "and I immediately invited them to join me at a few concerts at Centre Albert Camus, where I'll be performing next week ... " This facilitated the band's arrival in France in December 1980 in order to record their first album.

Fred Hidalgo – Chorus N° 20 , July 1997

LICENSE-FREE PHOTOS OF

HANITRA RANAIVO

AVAILABLE ON THIS INTERNET SITE

UNDER THE HEADING "PHOTOS"

http://hanitra.com/photos.html