Elie Rajaonarison (November 15, 1951 - November 27, 2010) was a poet, artist, professor and civil servant from

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

. Considered the standard-bearer for modern Malagasy

poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

,Auzias & Labourdette (2008), p. 142 Rajaonarison's published poetry anthologies earned him international recognition and have been translated into French and English.

Biography

Elie Rajaonarison was born on November 15, 1951, in Ambatondrazaka, a town in the central highlands of

. His marriage to Mamisoa Ramananarivo as a young man produced three daughters. A prolific poet and advocate for Malagasy traditional culture and the arts, Rajaonarison founded the Malagasy poetry association Faribolana Sandratra to advance the development of poetry among Madagascar's youth. He was credited with inspiring a new generation of Malagasy poets and artists through his advocacy and highly attended public performances of his works, which were regularly held at the Centre Germano-Malgache (CGM) in

Antananarivo Antananarivo (Malagasy language, Malagasy: ; French language, French: ''Tananarive'', ), also known by its colonial shorthand form Tana (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Madagascar. The administrative area of the city, known ...

. Provocative folk-fusion singer Samoëla referenced Elie Rajaonarison in a song entitled "Soly" on his first album, ''Mampirevy'' (1997), advising those with troubled hearts to find solace in his poetry (''"Omeko anao ny tononkalon'i Elie Rajaonarison..."''). Rajaonarison has also translated several poems by Jacques Prevert from French into Malagasy. Rajaonarison was an active advocate for preserving and advancing

's wide range of performing arts. He developed a theatrical piece in partnership with the Centre Culturel Francais called ''Tana-Cergy'', which was performed by a troupe of Malagasy and French actors and toured widely in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

to positive reviews. In the interest of exposing Malagasy people to the wider world of theater, Rajaonarison successfully undertook the translation of Bernard-Marie Koltès' works from French into Malagasy. His photography, a second passion, earned him accolades in artistic circles. He wrote and directed several films, and worked with other concerned artists to found the Malagasy National Committee of ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) to advocate for the protection of Madagascar's tangible cultural and historic heritage. Rajaonarison served as Secretary General to the Minister of Culture in the 1990s under President

Albert Zafy Albert Zafy (1 May 1927 – 13 October 2017) was a Malagasy politician and educator who served as the fourth president of Madagascar from 1993 to 1996. In 1988, he founded the National Union for Democracy and Development (UNDD). In 1992, Zafy s ...

, and was formerly a member of the AVI political party of

Norbert Ratsirahonana Norbert Lala Ratsirahonana (born 18 November 1938) is a Malagasy politician who served as the 16th prime minister of Madagascar and acting List of presidents of Madagascar, president of Madagascar from 1996 to 1997. Life and career He was born i ...

. A faculty member of the University of Madagascar at Ankatso,

, for over 25 years, Rajaonarison was promoted mid-career to head the Department of Sociology. His classes and research explored Malagasy culture,

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

, arts and world view. He was noted for his strong convictions, love of Madagascar and warm personality. On November 27, 2010, Rajaonarison died of food poisoning at the age of 57. He received state honors and his death was widely mourned in Madagascar.

Notes

External links

* Samples o
Rajaonarison's poetry
(in English)

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rajaonarison, Elie Malagasy male poets People from Antananarivo 2010 deaths 1951 births 20th-century Malagasy poets 21st-century Malagasy poets Malagasy translators 20th-century translators Deaths from foodborne illnesses 21st-century translators International Writing Program alumni People from Alaotra-Mangoro 20th-century Malagasy male writers 21st-century male writers Malagasy-language writers

Biography

See also

Notes

External links

References