In America, the accordion is commonly viewed as a party instrument, churning out polkas or perhaps jigs and reels. In Regis Gizavo’s birthplace, near Tulear, on the southwestern coast of Madagascar, the accordion’s music is considered to have spiritual properties, capable of summoning ancestral spirits or promoting healing.
Gizavo, who performed at the Old Town School of Folk Music Saturday night with French percussionist David Mirandon, has developed a singular style, melding the mysterious melodies of his native region with the occidental musical styles he has picked up after moving to Europe in 1990.
Mirandon was no less spectacular an instrumentalist, laying down a steady, polyphonic beat on congas, a full drum kit and an arsenal of percussion instruments.
Singing in Malagasy, the language of Madagascar, Gizavo had to rely on vocal nuances to connect with the audience. Although his strongest suit is as an instrumentalist, Gizavo is also a versatile vocalist, moving from a soft traditional Malagasy style through Gospel shouts, smooth pop crooning and even some jazzy scat singing.
Gizavo overcame the potential limitations of serving as the sole melodic instrumentalist by judicious exploitation of the dynamics of his accordion, leaning into slurred notes, pumping up the volume with his bellows, playing dense clusters of chords and spinning out long single-note runs.
The duo cast their musical nets widely as well, mixing elements of rock, cajun, reggae and European pop with traditional Malagasy melodies.
On one number, Gizavo played a thick, vibrato-laden chordal pattern that mimicked the simpler style of the diatonic “squeeze boxes” that are the most common accordions in his homeland. Later, he cranked out a rollicking swamp boogie on which Mirandon laid down a perfect Memphis backbeat. Gizavo and Mirandon’s energy and eclectic musical palettes created a captivating, and absolutely unique, musical hybrid.
