Merina

Merina children
Total population
5 million
Regions with significant populations
Madagascar
Languages
Malagasy
Religion
Christianity, Animism
Related ethnic groups
Austronesian peoples, Betsileo, other Malagasy people

The Merina are an ethnic group from Madagascar.^[1] The Merina are concentrated in the Highlands and speak the official dialect of the Malagasy language, which is a branch of the Malayo-Polynesian language group derived from the Barito languages, spoken in southern Borneo. Their ancestors, the Austronesians, migrated from Borneo in the Malay archipelago around 1 BC. Today, the Austronesian features of the Merina are still quite visible. The Merina cultivate rice, cassava, potatoes, onions, and other crops and raise cattle and pigs. They constitute a large proportion of the educated middle-class and intellectual elite of Madagascar, serving as businessmen, technicians, managers, and government officials.

Beginning in the late 18th century, Merina sovereigns extended political domination over the rest of the island, ultimately uniting it under their rule. In 1895–96 the French colonized Madagascar and abolished the Merina monarchy by force in 1897.

The Merina Kingdom[link]

Distribution of Malagasy ethnic groups.

Oral history traces the emergence of a united kingdom in the central highlands of Madagascar – a region called Imerina – back to early 16th century king Andriamanelo. By 1824, sovereigns in his line had conquered nearly all of Madagascar, particularly through the military strategy and ambitious political policies of Andrianampoinimerina (circa 1785–1810) and his son Radama I (1792–1828). The kingdom's contact with British and later French powers helped modernize the state, allowing its very capable leaders to build schools and an impressive modern army. But the peace and stability of the Merina kingdom would come to an end with the first Franco-Hova War. At the war’s end, Madagascar ceded Antsiranana (Diégo Suarez) on the northern coast to France and paid 560,000 gold francs to the heirs of Joseph-François Lambert, a Frenchman who had been promised lucrative trade privileges under King Radama II that had later been revoked. In Europe, meanwhile, diplomats partitioning the African continent worked out an agreement whereby Britain, in order to obtain the Sultanate of Zanzibar, ceded its rights over Heligoland to Germany and renounced all claims to Madagascar in favor of France. The agreement spelled doom for the independence of Madagascar.

In 1895, a French flying-column landed in Mahajanga (Majunga) and marched by way of the Betsiboka River to the capital, Antananarivo, taking the city’s defenders by surprise. They had expected an attack from the much closer east coast. Twenty French soldiers died fighting and 6,000 died of malaria and other diseases before the second Franco-Hova War ended. In 1896 the French Parliament voted to annex Madagascar. The 103-year-old Merina monarchy ended with Queen Ranavalona III and her Prime Minister, Rainilaiarivony sent to exile in Algeria.

Caste system[link]

Among all the Malagasy ethnicities, the Merina historically have one of the most stratified caste systems. In general they are divided into three classes: the Andriana (nobles), the Hova (freemen), and the Andevo (slaves). Each class is then hierarchically divided into subclasses.

The Andriana are divided into seven subclasses, from the highest ranking to the lowest as follows:

• Zanakandriana: A small, elite sub-group of the Zazamarolahy from which a sovereign's successor was selected.
• Zazamarolahy (or Marolahy): Direct descendants of the sovereign.
• Andriamasinavalona: Noble descendants of the four sons of King Andriamasinavalona who were excluded from ruling one of the four sub-divisions of Imerina that had been made the fiefs of his four preferred sons.
• Andriantompokondrindra (or Zanatompo): Descendents of King Andriantompokondrindra, the oldest son of King Ralambo, who according to one popular legend was passed over for the kingship in favor of his brother Andrianjaka (reportedly due to a game of fanorona).
• Andrianamboninolona ("Princes Above the People") or Zanakambony ("Sons Above"): Descendents of those who accompanied King Andrianjaka on his conquest of Antananarivo
• Andriandranando (or Zafinadriandranando)
• Zanadralambo

Culture[link]

Cuisine[link]

The cuisine of the Merina is so heavily dominated by rice that the term for eating a meal is simply "to eat rice". This staple of the diet is so central to the Merina that it is considered to be masina, or holy, and a common Merina belief holds that the eating of rice is the key to moral behaviour, and the French who occupied Merina lands were often looked down upon for eating bread over rice.^[2] Beef also plays a large part in the Merina diet, and according to Merina oral history, it was a servant of King Ralambo who discovered that cows were edible and shared this knowledge with the king, who in turn informed the rest of his kingdom.^[2]

Traditional Beliefs and Practices[link]

The Vazimba feature prominently in Merina oral history and popular imagination. It has been speculated that the Vazimba were the original population of Madagascar, descended from Southeast Asian seafarers who may have had pygmy physical characteristics. Among some Malagasy, the Vazimba are not believed to be human at all, but rather a form of supernatural creature possessing magical powers (mahery).^[2]

The Merina believe their land to be tanin'drazana (the land of the ancestors) and show reverence to their ancestors by burying them in family tombs typically located in the ancestral village of origin. Many believe that ancestors can intervene in events on Earth, for good or for ill, and this belief shapes the actions and thoughts of many Malagasy.^[2] In the first seven years of their lives, boys are typically circumcised in a ritual wherein relatives request the blessings and protection of the ancestors.^[2]

See also[link]

• Malagasy people
• Merina Kingdom

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Merina nation
• Merina royal family

This article about an ethnic group in Africa is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This Madagascar-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Như Loan (born April 20, 1981) is a Vietnamese singer who is currently signed under the music label Thúy Nga; one of the largest overseas Vietnamese music productions that is responsible for Paris By Night, a hit musical variety show. Như Loan was introduced to Thúy Nga Paris by Night through designer Calvin Hiep, whom she has modeled for in the past. She started her singing career as a back-up singer in Paris by Night and was later given the opportunity to sing on stage as a professional singer in Paris by Night 62. Như Loan sang her debut solo in Paris by Night 63 with the song “Men Say Tình Ái ”.

Như Loan released her first solo CD in 2006 titled “Tình Lặng Câm”, as well as a duet CD titled “Sunday Buồn” with singer Bảo Hân, and a group CD titled “Mong Anh Sẽ Đến” with singers Bảo Hân, Loan Châu, and Tú Quyên. She has also been appearing in Thúy Nga’s Paris by Night videos and DVDs since 2001. Như Loan is currently planning on releasing her second solo CD in mid-2008, as well as other products in the near future.

Biography[link]

'Như Loan' is her stage name which was given to her by her producers. She was named after a famous Vietnamese actress known for her beauty. She currently resides in Costa Mesa, California.

Music[link]

Như Loan has released several CDs that have become top-sellers throughout the years. Her first CD, released in 2002, was “Mong Anh Sẽ Đến” which featured herself and other singers of Thúy Nga: Bảo Hân, Loan Châu, and Tú Quyên. In 2003, she released a duet CD with singer Bảo Hân titled "Sunday Buồn". After continuous requests and demands from fans, Như Loan released her debut solo CD titled "Tình Lặng Câm" in July 2006. She is currently finishing and putting the final touches on her second solo CD which is planned to be released in mid-2008. Như Loan is also working on other projects, as well as picking out songs for her third solo CD, set to release in the near future

Albums[link]

Best of Như Loan[link]

Casi.Nhu Loan

Special Guest. Tran Thai Hoa, Lam Nhat Tien, Nguyen Thang, & Nguyet Anh

Eden Espinosa
Born	(1978-02-02) February 2, 1978 (age 34) Anaheim, California

Eden Erica Espinosa (born February 2, 1978 in Anaheim, California) is an American singer and stage actress, who is best known for her performances as Elphaba for the Broadway, Los Angeles and San Francisco productions of the musical Wicked.^[1]

Education & early career[link]

Of Mexican descent,^[2] Eden Espinosa began singing at the age of three, performing at age five, and recording at the age of ten.^[3] At Canyon High School, she played the role of Maria in West Side Story. After graduating, Eden worked at local theme parks such as Disneyland and Universal Studios.^[4] Eden was also part of the successful performing group The Young Americans, which is based in southern California and performs in front of audiences worldwide.

[edit] Wicked

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2010)

Eden made her Broadway debut as a member of the Original Broadway Cast of Stephen Schwartz's musical Wicked, which opened on October 30, 2003. She originated the position of standby for Idina Menzel in the lead role of Elphaba. She was also an understudy for the role of Nessarose. Espinosa performed the lead role of Elphaba for a month continuously during the Summer of 2004, while Menzel was filming Ask the Dust. Espinosa left Wicked on September 5, 2004, to originate the lead for the Broadway debut of Brooklyn.

Espinosa performed the lead role of Elphaba for the Wicked First National Tour while it was in San Francisco, from August 5 to September 11, 2005. She replaced Stephanie J. Block while she recovered from an injury, and closed the San Francisco run.^[5]

On January 10, 2006, Espinosa returned to perform in the lead role of Elphaba for the Broadway production of Wicked, taking over the role from Shoshana Bean. Espinosa performed for the Wicked celebration of its 1,000th performance on Broadway, on March 21, 2006. Eden played opposite both Megan Hilty and Kate Reinders as Glinda on Broadway. She left the Broadway production on October 8, 2006, and was replaced by Ana Gasteyer.

Eden received the 2006 Broadway.com Audience Award for "Favorite Female Replacement", in recognition of her performances as Elphaba during her Broadway run as lead.^[6]

Espinosa was chosen to originate the role of Elphaba for the third U.S. production of Wicked in Los Angeles, which opened on February 21, 2007 at the Pantages Theatre. She opened the show with former Broadway co-star Megan Hilty as Glinda. She received broad critical acclaim for the role.^[7] Espinosa left the Los Angeles company on December 30, 2007 and was replaced by Caissie Levy. She returned to the Los Angeles production of Wicked on October 31, 2008, to reprise the role of Elphaba and stayed with the production until its finale on January 11, 2009.^[8] Wicked Los Angeles was one of the most financially successful musicals in Los Angeles theatre history.

On March 2, 2010, Espinosa took over the role of Elphaba from Teal Wicks for the San Francisco production of Wicked, on a contract which ran through June 26, 2010.^[9] She performed opposite Kendra Kassebaum as Glinda, whom she had previously performed with on the Wicked First National Tour in San Francisco.

[edit] Brooklyn

Espinosa originated and workshopped the title role of the lead character "Brooklyn" for the musical Brooklyn over the course of two years. Brooklyn had its world premiere on April 30, 2003 and ran until June 15, 2003 at the Denver Civic Center.^[10] Espinosa made her Broadway debut as a lead, performing the role of Brooklyn, for Brooklyn, on October 24, 2004. She performed the role through its close on June 26, 2005.^[11]

Espinosa was nominated for a 2005 Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance for playing the title role in Brooklyn.^[12] Eden is featured on the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Brooklyn.

[edit] Rent

Eden was featured as "Maureen" for the closing Broadway company of Rent (a role again originated by Idina Menzel) beginning on May 30, 2008, replacing Nicolette Hart. She performed through closing night on September 7, 2008.^[13] Espinosa is featured on the DVD of a live filmed performance by the closing company of Rent.

Additional theatre[link]

Espinosa starred in a production of Flora the Red Menace which ran at UCLA's Freud Playhouse from May 6–18, 2008.^[14] After its closing, On September 21, 2008, Eden made her West End debut in "Never Neverland", a benefit concert that raised money for British charities Ovarian Cancer Action and NCH. The concert took place at the Duchess Theatre in London.

Espinosa also performed in the one-night staging of Howard Ashman's previously-unproduced musical Dreamstuff on June 23, 2008 at the Hayworth Theatre in Los Angeles^[15] directed by Michael Urie.

Espinosa played the Fairy Godmother in the 2011 Nashville Symphony Orchestra concert version of Cinderella on April 15, 2011 alongside Wicked alum Alli Mauzey, who played the title character.^[16]

Solo shows/performances[link]

In March 2009, Eden took her solo show entitled "Me" to Joe's Pub in NYC for a series of concerts following her three performances of the show towards the end of Wicked's LA run. She is scheduled to return to Southern California with her show on Friday, July 24, 2009 at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre. Eden was featured as a soloist for Disneyland's new firework spectacular "Magical" premiering in the summer of 2009, where she sang Magical's theme song as well as classic Disney tunes like "Baby Mine".^[17]

Television[link]

Espinosa has appeared on various television shows, including Law & Order, Robot Chicken, and Dog Whisperer. She had a recurring role in 2009 as the voice of Sasha Caylo on the super robot animated series Titan Maximum, an original show developed for Adult Swim.

In 2007, she appeared on the ABC series Ugly Betty episode "Something Wicked This Way Comes" along with members of Los Angeles Wicked Cast, and performed "I'm Not That Girl" and "Defying Gravity".

She has also appeared on the Today Show in 2004, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade TV broadcast in 2004, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2007, and as a performer on the 2008 Tony Awards. ^[18]

In 2011, she appeared on the animated sketch comedy series Mad episode "Force Code/Flammable" as Katy Putty, a Katy Perry parody made out of Play-Doh and singing about flammable things, and performed "Flammable", a spoof on Katy Perry's song "Firework".

Recordings[link]

• Top 25 Praise Songs - Updated (2000)
• Top 25 Acoustic Worship Songs (2002)
• The Maury Yeston Songbook (2003)
• Hair - The Actors' Fund of America Benefit Recording (2005)
• Bright Lights, Big City - (2005 concept album)
• Brooklyn the Musical (2005 Original Broadway Cast Recording)
• Dreaming Wide Awake: The Music of Scott Alan (2007)
• David Burnham - featured duet: "As Long as You're Mine" (2007)
• Magical Fireworks - soundtrack: Disneyland

References[link]

External links[link]

• Eden Espinosa on Twitter