Dorotanety

Upon first hearing Rajery launch rhythmic cascades on the valiha, you might decide his approach to the Malagasy tube zither is more energetic, less delicate than that of other performers. But you would probably never guess that he plays the instrument with just one hand, having lost the other under mysterious circumstances as a child. If anything, Rajery has adjusted by applying unusual vigor to his art, attacking the solo valiha piece "Malaso" with the pluck of a bluegrass mandolin player. Tromba trance song "Dadilahi" flaunts ambidextrous flash on top of Rajery's overdubbed percussion, which extends layered hand drums to the melancholy ballad "Rila." The nicely paced, well-varied material is mostly instrumental, though Rajery's singing brings added warmth to a few songs. A harmonica even pipes up on "Malahelo Ny Tany," his bright voicing of ecological concerns. Rajery says he's never gotten the straight story on what happened to his hand; by one account, magic was involved. A form of it still is. Playing every instrument on this disc as well as recording it himself shows determination that is, by any measure, extraordinary. --Bob Tarte