SA Roy and the Forest Jam – a unique multicultural group born out of a 2015 gathering with local and international musicians in Madagascar comprises of a trio of Malagasy acapella musicians, two Swiss nationals and a South African. The culturally diverse musicians were united by a passion for original music that pushed back a lot of creative boundaries.

During their performance in Harare, the group played various songs in French and Malagasy lyrics, easily finding a common denominator with the local crowd that responded with unrelenting dancing and sing alongs. The magic that unfolded on the night was also seen in the special atmosphere that culminated in a number of collaborations with local artists.

While the music drove dancing among those in attendance, the lyrics of SA Roy reflected the experiences of its multi-racial members. Soaraza Patrick Thomas, SA Roy song writer said friendship, various hardships and corruption significantly influenced their music.

The Afro-Jazz fusion in the group music’s style is greatly influenced by their vocal training which includes Acapella, mandolin, acoustic guitar – traditional percussions and traditional Tandroy dance.

SA Roy and The Forest Jam Band have been on a Francophonie Tour since last month which has seen them playing in Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The tour is supported by the Government of Switzerland through the Swiss Arts Council – Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Goethe Centre CGM in Antananarivo.

Organised by the embassies of France, Switzerland, Canada, Belgium, Czech Republic and the European Union, the 2017 Francophonie Festival started on March 18. The festival celebrated diversity and cultural dialogue through a French dictation competition and the presentation of a collection of high-quality and award winning comedy films produced in member countries of the Francophonie. All films were presented with English subtitles.