the Lamba and the lambahoany: a malagasy costume,

THE LAMBA

The lamba (lambə) is a piece of cloth put around the shoulders for malagasy women.

They wear it with one end thrown over the right shoulder. It is a sign that a woman is no longer young. Nowadays it is a fashionable piece of cloth for women abroad. They would not put it on, back in the country though, because of the connotation. It is just a piece of a traditional costume.

Ah oui, vraiment t’es jolie

Et moi, je t’aime à la folie

Et quand tu danses à la fête

Tu fais tourner tant de têtes

Avec ton lamba blanc.

Quand au milieu de la danse

Tu t’avances en silence

Ton joli corps se balance

Plein d'aisance, en silence

Ah oui, ah oui, ah oui vraiment t’es jolie

Refrain

Je t’ai donnée

Il y a deux années, pour tes vingt ans

Un lamba blanc

Et dès que tu l’as mis

Les garçons se mirent à chanter cette chanson

A chaque fois que je te vois

Tu as toujours

De jolis atours

Et la mode a changé si souvent

Mais toi tu as gardé ton lamba blanc

Translation (G.trad)

Oh yeah, you're really pretty

And I, I love you to distraction

And when you dance at the party

You make so many heads to turn around

With your white lamba.

When in the middle of the dance

You advance in silence

Your pretty body sways

Full of ease, in silence

Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes you're really pretty

chorus

I gave you
two years ago, for your twenty years’ birthday
A white lamba
And when you put it on,
The boys began to sing this song

Every time I see you
You always have your
Pretty attire
And fashion has changed so often
But thou hast kept thy white lamba

LAMBAHOANY
Another piece of cloth, called Lambahoany is turned around the thighs of any young women in the coastal part of Madagascar. It is worn everyday as a skirt.







LAMBAHOANY
vangay lambahoany= buy me a lambahoany
(dialect)