Posted on February, 12 2008

During our stay in Ambodihasina, Charlotte, Alicia and I invented a song called “Komba Tsara”. It plays to the tune of “Frère Jacques” and is therefore very easy for everyone to learn, as this song is very well known in Madagascar, too. As our Malagasy was still very limited at the time, the lyrics turned out to be rather simple – which was maybe one of the reasons for the success of the song:

Komba tsara, komba tsara (Nice lemur)
Tiako tiako (I like you)
avy anaty ala (coming from the forest)
avy anaty ala
hiarovana hiarovana (let’s protect it!)

To increase the fun factor in this song, one has to perform suitable gestures to every line (waving arms, hugging, wide gesture to symbolize the big forest, high index finger.)

As WWF gave us a lot of freedom what to do during our time in Ambodihasina, we thought about ways to promote the new song. We ended up visiting all four schools in the area, giving environmental lessons, talking about the uniqueness of Madagascar’s fauna and flora. We ended the lessons with “komba tsara”. We will never really know, if our song really was that well suited for all the age groups we visited, or if they just loved the sight of three vazahas jumping up and down in front of them, trying to teach them a song in very basic Malagasy…However, whatever it was – the kids loved our song, and sang it to us, whenever we passed them in the street.

On “Lemur Days”, the five day festival in Ambatoriha, there was a perfect situation to test its effects again. And again, it proved successful. Even after being away for weeks and then coming back to Ambatoriha, the kids still sang this song to us, waving and doing the appropriate gestures.

Malagasy people love music and dancing very much. Without planning it that way, we seem to have invented an environmental education method, which was very suitable for Madagascar and its cheerful inhabitants. As for me, that was the biggest contribution I was able to make. I hope it is more than just a nice song and will make the Malagasy children think.