Madagascar's Tana Gospel Choir ready for European tour

The tour begins in Germany, where the Tana Gospel Choir (TGC) will be taking part in a workshop on 16 June in Nieukerk ahead of performances in the cities of Düsseldorf (17 and 19 June), Moers (18 June), Wuppertal (22 June) and Berlin (29 June).

After the German leg of the tour, the choir will cross the border to France for more concerts - in the cities of Paris (2 July), Nice (8 July), Lyon (9 July), Toulouse (10 July), Strasbourg (15 July) and finally Marseille (16 July).

The tour will see the choir present the cultural richness of the Big Island to European audiences. "This tour is an opening to the world," said Seta Ramaroson, a member of the group. "Given our country's relative isolation, meetings and exchanges with other cultures do not happen so often!

This tour, focussing on the theme of discovery, will certainly be different from their last international tour, to Brazil two years ago. "This tour is a great opportunity for us to experience the culture and company that Malagasy people do not know much about," said Ramaroson.

Preparations for the upcoming concerts have taken a lot of time and energy, but now the group is ready for their big European trip. "Submitting proposals, negotiating costs with partners, administrative procedures and visas - this preparation phase was important for us," he added.

The Tana Gospel Choir was formed in 2004 by 20 singers and musicians passionate about gospel and intent on interpreting classical hymns with traditional influences and new trends. They first performed together in October 2004 at the 14th edition of Madajazzcar, the largest jazz festival in the Indian Ocean region. In 2006, TGC released their first album, titled Misaotra Anao. That year they made their first European tour, performing in Germany, France and Switzerland. Their other albums include Mandigny (2009) and Mandrakizay (2013). In 2010, the group won Best Gospel Song at the RDJ Mozika Awards, Madagascar's most prestigious music awards.

For more details on their upcoming European tour, visit the TGC website.