Wikipedia:Today's featured article/March 24, 2013

Rakoto Frah (1923–2001) was a flautist and composer of traditional music of the central highlands of Madagascar. Born to a poor rural family, he became the most acclaimed 20th-century performer of the sodina flute, one of the island's oldest traditional instruments. In 1958, he was selected to perform for the visiting French president Charles de Gaulle, launching his career as a professional musician, and from 1967 he increasingly participated in international music competitions and festivals. Following a decline in popularity in the 1970s, Frah's career revived in the mid-1980s and remained strong until his death. During this period Rakoto Frah recorded ten albums, toured extensively in Madagascar and overseas, and collaborated with a variety of artists, placing him among the most famous Malagasy artists within Madagascar and on the world music scene. Rakoto Frah and his sodina were printed on the 200 ariary Malagasy banknote in honor of his key role in revitalizing and internationally popularizing Malagasy music. Despite the artist's worldwide acclaim, he lived simply and earned little. His death was widely mourned and marked by a state funeral. (Full article...)

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