Because
Tarika has been among Madagascar's top bands of the 1990s, it's quite appropriate the quintet would be the one to pay tribute to Malagasy culture of the '70s. In Madagascar, the '70s are looked back on as a golden era for local pop/dance music, and
Tarika pays tribute to that time on
D. (The "D" is for "dihy," which is the Malagasy word for "dance.") Some of the songs
Tarika embraces on this spirited CD were major hits in Madagascar in the '70s. The infectious "Cocorico" was a huge hit for R. Clee, and "Matata" (originally recorded by Abdallah for Kaiamba Records in 1979) is said to have sold over 60,000 copies. Some of the songs on
D, however, are
Tarika originals. Written by
Tarika's talented lead singer Hanitra, "Raitra," "Ilahikolo," and "Retany" are tunes that weren't around in the '70s but fit in quite well on this celebration of Madagascar's pop/dance culture.
D proved to be a welcome addition to the
Tarika catalog. ~ Alex Henderson