Movie-Database: Movies
MALOYA, J`ÉCRIS TON NOM
Credits
Name: MALOYA, J`ÉCRIS TON NOM
Country: La Réunion
Year of publication: 2015
Format: digital
Color: color
Language : OF m. engl. UT
Duration: 81 Minuten
Direction: Charles-Dominigue, Anaïs
Abstract
Sugar cane plants dance in the sunlight, the waves of the ocean shimmer on the horizon, and music fills the air – the images and sounds of the island of Réunion, the birthplace of Maloya. This is the name of a traditional genre of music from which a fast-paced dance of the same name has since developed. The Creole lyrics of the songs were penned by slaves, and Maloya was historically seen as a show of resistance against colonial rule. For this reason, the music was banned. But today Maloya is enjoying a renaissance and is gaining ever more recognition within the international world music scene.
The film focuses on two artists, Christine Salem and Olivier Araste, who have contributed to Maloya’s revival. For them, Maloya is more than just music – it is a philosophy, a religion, a way of life, whereby the drums and rattles resemble a heartbeat and send listeners into a mystical trance.
The filmmaker presents modern life in Réunion with a beautifully melancholic soundtrack and poses the question as to whether traditions such as Maloya can be preserved in such a rapidly changing world.