LohArano have picked up a win at one of Madagascar’s biggest mainstream music events, bringing heavy music into a space where it’s still not often given room.
The group announced the news online, sharing a brief note of appreciation after snagging the “Rock Mavesatra” (Heavy Rock) award at the RDJ Mozika Awards: “Grateful that our work is recognized. We keep moving”” they wrote, alongside a Malagasy message thanking people for the support and the recognition.
Organized by Radio des Jeunes (RDJ 96.6 FM), a station the act calls a key national broadcaster, the RDJ Mozika Awards happen yearly. Artists earn nods in various divisions, victors chosen by fan ballots, weighing influence and radio spins.
“We’ve never played music to compete, so we were quite surprised when we heard the result during the ceremony.”
AFRICA.ROCKS reached out to LohArano to grasp the prize’s significance in their world. The ensemble stressed they didn’t view this as a contest. “We’ve never played music to compete, so we were quite surprised when we heard the result during the ceremony,” they told AFRICA.ROCKS. They added that they had not campaigned for votes, but still took the result as a sign their music is reaching people on its own terms.
The bigger picture? What this exposure might do for heavy tunes locally. They observed rock and metal rarely grab attention at major Malagasy happenings, making this more than just a trophy. “Seeing it represented in such a mainstream setting is not very common,” they said. “So if this helps open a little more space for the genre, that’s a good thing.”
