Danyèl Waro

Danyel Waro was born and raised at the Ile de la Réunion, a French territory in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. A descendant of French colonists, he is the most renowned proponent of the Maloya, a compound rhythm which had its origin in chants of enslaved workers on the sugar cane plantations, a sort of "blues à la Réunion." Maloya is seen as a strong force of Réunion identity and was at times even banned by the French authorities governing the island. Whereas the archaic Maloya consisted first of all chants sung over traditional percussion instruments, Waro must be credi...