The diatonic button accordion, from the beginning of the 19th century, became hugely popular in traditional rituals, secular celebrations and love songs, bringing a new aesthetic to Masikoro music in the south-west of the Great Island. The Masikoro's appropriation of the instrument began with modifying it's scale to suit indigenous ears and music. This involved carving the reeds of the accordion to turn it into a "prepared accordion". As the instrument is very difficult to find in new condition, musicians play on old models inherited from their fathers, sometimes even their grandfathers. Repaired several times, they produce noises and clicks from the bellows that become elements of expression in the music. Often accompanied by singing, rattles and drums, the accordion now plays a major role in various traditional rituals such as possession sessions, ceremonies of exorcism, of circumcision and funerals. It also accompanies dancing and songs of nostalgia, and sometimes the end of market days.
