Q: I know Madagascar has a French history, but what are some French aspects that are still used there today?
A: music "But the problem in Madagascar is that we are no longer interested in instrumental music. It's neglected. Even D'Gary. It's sad, because he's a big guitarist, a phenomenon. He takes his vacations all the time in Madagascar, but he doesn't play. That's the problem, because we have inherited a French tradition that says we must always sing. We must have words. So we don't make the instruments sing anymore. But we have a rich instrumental tradition." http://www.afropop.org/multi/feature/ID/57 A wide range of foreign music styles have been popularized in Madagascar, including French chanson. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Madagascar