Post midnight serenades in rural Madagascar

An excerpt from Stephen's diary:

Its just after 1:30 am 12th August, in a small Malagasy village village called Befingotra in the Andapa region of northeast Madagascar. we are far away from any infrastructure, cut off by a mud pit they call a road, a high mountain pass, and a full day's walk and drive to the nearest town. This village is the starting point for excursions into the remote Anjanaharibe Sud special reserve, and we are camped in the yard of somebody's home.

Tomorrow we will hike around the area and interview the villagers for a documentary film we are shooting.

I’m woken in my tent by the sad and gentle singing of a man in prayer. The man told our guide before we set up our tents that he hoped he would not disturb us with his praying late at night. I have no idea what his beautifully sung words mean in the local Malagasy dialect of Tsimihety, yet they gently pierce the Nylon Fabric of my tent in a soothing, melodic and sad voice that awake something deep inside me. I am touched, and I am afraid that the meaning of the songs, if I could understand them would lose the magic of the music that transcends the words they contain.

My mind is filled with thoughts in this still, starry night, being here in this extraordinary country, and feeling compelled to capture our journey on film. This seems all very sentimental as I write it, yet I’m certain that a tale that has not been told in our human history wants to be told. The unsaid wants to be exclaimed, it is now ripe for the picking and it wants to be shared with those who are listening. I am drawn to be the picker of that fruit, through words, and through images on film.

My thoughts turn to people. Mosesy, our dedicated guide, a man of huge integrity and inspiration in his own right, and our soft-spoken driver Fabrisse, accompanied by his smiling young son, Milandro, the suave and talkative Faustin, and the porters and others giving so generously of their time to assist us in our mission. These people, and the places, and our own journey are conspiring in a mysterious way, and preparing us for the message that will move the hearts and minds of all those who come into contact with it. I personally feel humbled to be the conveyor of this message, one that I do not fully understand myself, yet I have the certainty that it exists.

The images and the opportunities that have presented themselves to us in the past few weeks up until now have been aplenty. We have discovered something that for us is unique, and it remains to be seen whether the inspiration exists in the other regions we will be visiting, or even beyond this country to others. Chances are this inspiration has existed for millennia, but I am only seeing it now.

So what is this mysterious and magical message that Jacqueline and I feel so compelled to share? Perhaps it’s something to do with the interconnectedness and love between human beings of vastly different cultures and ancestry, or that a country classified as being one of the poorest can be prosperous in so many ways? Or maybe, it’s the friendly smile that adorns the face of every person we have met, the lack of urgency, the abundance of productivity, the warmth, love, authenticity and accepting nature that many of them have as attributes. People alive with possibilities, desiring a preservation of their lush and fertile environment, seeking beneficial collaboration with the rest of the world; humble and perhaps unable to see their own greatness, and until now free of the clutches of desire for technological advances and monetary wealth. Already there exists abundance here; of knowledge, of agricultural subsistence; community support, preservation of resources for future generations and; respect for humanity.

My sense is that this abundance is not new. It has been passed down through many generations. Madagascar is a place that has embraced the diversity of its ancestry – the blend of African and Asian roots, and perhaps it is the unity of spirit that speaks volumes, and which these evening prayers have chosen to awaken within me. Who was this stranger that was sent to sing to me, like a child being sung to sleep by a loving parent. Who sent me this stranger to sing such beautiful and moving melodies in a language that I thought I could not understand…?

Stephen

Have a great long life!

One of the best birthday gifts have ever received was on shoot in north-east Madagascar. We were staying at a rustic place called Tampolo Lodge which was on a marine reserve that was a 2 day walk or 3 hour speedboat ride from the nearest town. It is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to....

Freshwater streams run directly from the rain forest of the Masoala National Park directly into the sea. The beach is a rich, warm yellow colour and backs onto the deep green forest with comet orchids dotted everywhere! The sky is continually shifting from dark rain clouds to light tropical rain to warm sun, and back again. Gorgeous.

We were also there with our friend, Augustin Sarovy, who was working as our translator and guide. So on 21 August, Augustin with some other boatmen and local fishermen sang me a birthday song - in 4 part harmony!

Jacqueline

Have a great long life! from Jacqueline van Meygaarden on Vimeo.