modeste

Bio:

How I came to this music: My full name is Modeste Hugues Randramahitasoa.I grew up in Betroka, a town in the central southern part of Madagascar. The music I play is unique to the Betroka region of Madagascar where it's influenced by all the traditional sounds of the area together with some softer South African dance rhythms. When I was about 15 years old I heard a neighbor played the guitar and I loved the sounds so much, I new from that moment that the guitar was going to be part of my life forever, so I borrowed my neighbor's guitar and started to teach myself how to play. When he moved away, I had no money to buy a guitar of my own so I built one in a workshop at a local technique college where my father was a teacher. I used a fishing line for strings so it meant I had to hold the guitar very close to hear the sound, and even though it was difficult to play and out of tune I loved to try to recreate the natural sounds of the birds, insects and life in the village. I was also used to hearing my mother singing and this gave me the inspiration to persevere. It not take long before I began to take interest in other musical sounds especially those of the "marovany" a 24 strings traditional Malagasy instrument, which is box shaped and played like West African "kora". I eventually started to fuse the traditional rhythms and music of Betroka with many of the sounds that had to appealed to my senses. I have spent years soaked in the sounds of the bush, the bird, whistling of the shepherds in the hills and it this amazing pallet that I draw on when I play , and it is this place that I return to whenever I perform. Thank you. Modeste Hugues Randriamahitasoa ..   I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace)

Member Since:

April 25, 2008

Members:

Les Mommsen - Bass Guitar and Percussion. Les plays the acoustic bass and percussion including the Malagasy shaker style "katsa". He has been working with Modeste since early 2002. Adewale Itauna Pinto - Percussion. He has been working with Modeste since 2004

Influences:

The nature, the everyday life and Modeste

Sounds Like:

As it difficult to tell you how it's sound, there is a comment to let you know about it: Hugues is a pleasingly smoky-toned singer and a fine guitarist, able to play rhythm and lead all at once. He's so effective in this musical sleight of hand that audience members scan the stage in search of a (non-existent) second guitar player. -- Jamie Renton of the Independent

Record Label:

Unsigned