Kiltir, a Maloya group of soul-stirring rhythms of the Réunion Island, are set to perform for three days in Namibia. The Franco-Namibia Cultural Centre (FNCC) will host Kiltir, a group whose music is rooted in the Creole traditions of their island homeland. With concerts and workshops scheduled across three days, Namibian audiences will get a rare opportunity to experience this electrifying cultural fusion live.

Maloya is one of the two major music genres of Réunion, usually sung in Réunion Creole, and traditionally accompanied by percussion and a musical bow.

A statement issued by FNCC said Kiltir, named after the Creole word for ‘culture’, is a family ensemble made up of brothers and cousins who have been immersed in Maloya since childhood. Maloya is a new form which has origins in the music of Africans and Malagasy.

This traditional music of Réunion Island, once a form of resistance and spiritual expression among enslaved African and Malagasy communities, is now recognised by Unesco as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Kiltir’s ‘speed maloya’ brings modern energy to these ancient rhythms, creating high-octane, deeply communal performances,” added the statement. 

After winning the musical springboard La Clameur des Bambous in 1996, Kiltir recorded the first of their three albums. They have performed at many cultural events in Reunion, including the Sakito Festival, as well as in mainland France, Mauritius, Madagascar, Zimbabwe and Zambia.