Music
Danyèl Waro
A leading figure of maloya, renowned far beyond the island
Biography
Born in Le Tampon on 10 May 1955, Danyèl Waro is one of the central figures of Réunion maloya. A singer-songwriter, he has devoted himself to passing on and renewing maloya, a ritual music of resistance inherited from the island's enslaved people. He made Réunion Creole the primary language of his poetry and lyrics, defending its cultural status and its place in identity at a time when Creole was often looked down on. His work also includes making and promoting the traditional instruments, the roulèr (barrel drum) and the kayamb (flat rattle), that structure the rhythm and ceremony of maloya. Since the 1980s he has helped make maloya a recognised music passed on to new generations. UNESCO's inscription of maloya on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2009 confirmed the international reach of this art.
Contribution
Passing on and renewing maloya; defending the Creole language as a vehicle for poetry and identity; making and promoting the traditional instruments of maloya (roulèr, kayamb).
Legacy
A leading figure of contemporary maloya. UNESCO's inscription of maloya as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009 recognises the universal value of this art, of which he is one of the foremost representatives.
Sources (1)
- https://ich.unesco.org/fr/RL/le-maloya-00249
