A revelation on Reunion Island’s new music scene, Ann O’aro captivates with the power of her maloya, akin to raw blues.
Accompanied by two musicians, Teddy Doris on trombone and Bino Waro on percussion, Ann O’aro sings her lyrics to the haunting beat of a reinvented maloya—an emblematic musical genre of the Indian Ocean—that blends sounds of sega, zouk, Balkan, and jazz. With her warm voice, this true Creole poet expresses her innermost feelings. Her committed and fiery singing comes from the heart, frankly evoking family and island taboos in a unique style that is both caressing and harsh, rhythmic and visceral.
Ann O’aro loves everything related to body movement, rhythms, and voice. When she was younger, she was always running, and she even dabbled in martial arts in addition to her music. It was finally upon returning to her native region, after spending several years in Canada and mainland France, that she found her voice and her unique maloya style. Blending music, song, and dance, this traditional art has its origins in slaves from East Africa and Madagascar. A tribute to ancestors, a lament, and then a vehicle for political demands, it became, for Ann O’aro, a song of courage and emancipation.
In partnership with the Théâtre de Saint Quentin en Yvelines, national stage.