Madagascar Slim
Encyclopedia
Randriamananjara Radofa Besata Jean Longin (born October 31, 1956 in Antananarivo
, Madagascar
) is a Canadian
-Malagasy folk
and blues guitarist, who records and performs under the stage name Madagascar Slim. He is a member of the folk music band Tri-Continental and the world music group African Guitar Summit
, as well as a solo artist and a regular collaborator with blues singer Ndidi Onukwulu
.
He moved to Canada in 1979 to study English and accounting at Seneca College
, pursuing music with the folk group La Ridaine while studying. He has cited Jimi Hendrix
and B. B. King
as the two primary influences on his choice to become a guitarist.
He is a three time Juno Award
winner, having won World Music Album of the Year
in 2000 for his solo album Omnisource and in 2005 with African Guitar Summit, and Roots & Traditional Album of the Year
in 2001 with Tri-Continental.
Antananarivo
Antananarivo , formerly Tananarive , is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial shorthand form Tana....
, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-Malagasy folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and blues guitarist, who records and performs under the stage name Madagascar Slim. He is a member of the folk music band Tri-Continental and the world music group African Guitar Summit
African Guitar Summit
African Guitar Summit is a group of nine Canadian musicians, all of African origin, who gathered in Toronto to participate in a unique project for CBC Radio’s On Stage program....
, as well as a solo artist and a regular collaborator with blues singer Ndidi Onukwulu
Ndidi Onukwulu
Ndidi Onukwulu is a Canadian singer originally from Burns Lake, British Columbia. Although her style is often classified as jazz and blues, Onukwulu combines several musical genres in her songs including surf music, electric blues, gospel, and country...
.
He moved to Canada in 1979 to study English and accounting at Seneca College
Seneca College
Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology is a Canadian public college in the greater Toronto area. Seneca College is currently Canada's largest college with approximately 108,000 students.-History:...
, pursuing music with the folk group La Ridaine while studying. He has cited Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
and B. B. King
B. B. King
Riley B. King , known by the stage name B.B. King, is an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter.Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at No.3 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. According to Edward M...
as the two primary influences on his choice to become a guitarist.
He is a three time Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
winner, having won World Music Album of the Year
Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year
The Juno Award for "World Music Album of the Year" has been awarded since 1992, as recognition each year for the best world music album in Canada...
in 2000 for his solo album Omnisource and in 2005 with African Guitar Summit, and Roots & Traditional Album of the Year
Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year - Group
The Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year - Group is presented annually at Canada's Juno Awards to honour the best album of the year in the roots and/or traditional music genres...
in 2001 with Tri-Continental.