Zézé Rakoto

Joseph Rakotorahalahy, also known as Zézé Rakoto, moved from his native Madagascar to Yugoslavia in 1977 to study Architecture in Ljubljana. Coming from a family in which many members were musicians, Rakoto composed his first songs as a teenager. In 1972, he wrote “Masoandro mody” (“The Sun Is Setting” or “Sunset”) and founded the band Vahine, whose members were mostly relatives. The group enjoyed considerable success in Madagascar for some years, recording several singles and undertaking a nationwide tour.

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After moving to Yugoslavia, Zézé Rakoto chose not to pursue music professionally until he had completed his studies. Nevertheless, he continued to play informally for fellow students and in public spaces. At the end of the 1980s, he founded Afro Sound, a band whose members were both from various African countries and from Slovenia. Unfortunately, only photographic documentation of the group has survived. During the following year and a half, Afro Sound performed at venues across Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, and Italy, gaining a modest but positive reception.

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Alongside his professional career, Rakoto continued to perform both as a solo artist and in collaboration with other musicians. He sang and played a variety of instruments, including the guitar and the valiha, a traditional Malagasy string instrument. He also became involved in educational activities in schools, where he introduced audiences to Madagascar and its musical traditions, and participated in humanitarian and environmental initiatives. In 1999, he recorded the album Prišlo je pismo / Tonga N'Taratasy together with the Malagasy band Fenoamby.