Background
Elie Rajaonarison was born on November 15, 1951 in Ambatondrazaka, a town in the central highlands of Madagascar.
Elie Rajaonarison was born on November 15, 1951 in Ambatondrazaka, a town in the central highlands of Madagascar.
Considered the standard-bearer for modern Malagasy poetry, Rajaonarison"s published poetry anthologies earned him international recognition and have been translated into French and English. 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. 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 Madagascar"s wide range of performing arts 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 International Council on Monuments and Sites (International Council on Monuments and Sites) to advocate for the protection of Madagascar"s tangible cultural and historic heritage.
His classes and research explored Malagasy culture, history, 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.
Rajaonarison served as Secretary General to the Minister of Culture in the 1990s under President Albert Zafy, and was formerly a member of the Audio Video Interleave political party of Norbert Ratsirahonana.
A faculty member of the University of Madagascar at Ankatso, Antananarivo, for over 25 years, Rajaonarison was promoted mid-career to head the Department of Sociology.