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Firmin Viry
Firmin Viry
Background information
Born	11 March 1935 (age 89)
Genres	Maloya

Firmin Viry (born 11 March 1935) is a singer from Réunion known for maloya music. He was born in the Ligne Paradis neighborhood of Saint-Pierre.^[1] Viry developed his musical talents while working in the sugar cane fields and fighting for the rights of fellow sugar-cane cutters.

Early life and music

Firmin Viry worked as a sugar-cane cutter all his life between Saint-Pierre and Le Tampon. At 23, he made the instruments necessary for maloya, the bob, the roulèr, the kayamb, and the piker, thanks to Gustin Miza (a Mozambican).^[2]

Activism

Close to the Réunion Communist Party at its foundation, Viry then proposed, according to Françoise Vergès, the first maloya sung and danced in public^[3] in 1959, at the Rio cinema in Saint-Denis.^[2] Firmin Viry led another relentless fight for the abolition of the ban on Maloya. When President François Mitterrand assumed power, he quickly lifted the ban.^[4]

Controversy

In October 2009, Firmin Viry canceled the invitation for Dieudonné M'bala M'bala, a French comedian, to appear at the 20 December kabar [fr] to celebrate Réunion Freedom Day [fr],^[5]^{[full citation needed]} during which Dieudonné was to present a preview of his film Sans forme de politesse: regard sur la mouvance Dieudonné. A Paris screening of the film had also been canceled after the mayor, Bertrand Delanoë, objected, following repeated complaints against the comedian that his shows and media comments displayed antisemitism.^[a] At the time Viry withdrew his invitation, penalties of a fine and compensation payable to community groups were imposed on Dieudonné for "public insult of people of Jewish origin or faith"; similar incidents occurred in 2004 and 2005 for which Dieudonné also had judgements against him in 2007 and 2008.^[7]

Discography

1972: A nous même danser Maloya, Disques Jackman, 45 RPM.^[8]
1976: Le maloya, Ediroi (PCR), 33 RPM.
1976: Peuple de la Réunion, peuple du maloya, Ediroi (PCR), 33 RPM. Participation of Firmin Viry with the troupe Résistance, the troupe Gaston Hoareau, and the troupe René Viry.^[4]
1977: Le Maloya de la Réunion, Disques Jackman, 45 RPM.
1983: Ti crie a moin anin / Dimanche grand matin, Disques Issa, 45 RPM.
1989: Cent An Boner, SEDM Oasis Studio, Cassette.^[9]
1998: Ti Mardé, Indigo.
1999: Ile de la Réunion: maloya, Ocora.
2006: Memwar in pep, Best Maloya.
2017: Maloya, Ocora.

Notes

^ The title of Dieudonné's film is, in English, 'without any form of politeness: a look at the Dieudonné movement'. During his show J'ai fait le con, Dieudonné had brought Robert Faurisson, a promoter of Holocaust denial, on stage to award him "the prize of unacceptability and insolence" presented by an assisting comedian who was dressed as a Jewish deportee, all in front of Jean-Marie Le Pen and his wife.^[6]

References

^ "Firmin Viry celebrates his 80th birthday at the Téat plein air in Saint-Gilles: VIDÉOS – Oté rwa Firmin, larg out maloya". Imaz Press Réunion (in French). 12 December 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Ile de la Réunion. Firmin Viry. Maloya". Radio France Éditions (in French). Retrieved 30 June 2024.
^ Vergès, Françoise (1999). Monsters and Revolutionaries: Colonial Family Romance and Métissage. Durham, NC (US): Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0822322948.
^ ^a ^b Croisier, Brigitte (2 October 2013). "La longue marche du maloya". inforeunion: Un regard info politique - Ile de La Réunion - Océan Indien (in French). Retrieved 30 June 2024.
^ Journal de l'île de La Réunion newspaper, 16 October 2009; and Le Quotidien de La Réunion [fr] newspaper, 16 October 2009.^{[full citation needed]}
^ "'Injures' antisémites: Dieudonné condamné à 10.000 euros d'amende" [Anti-Semitic 'insults': Dieudonné fined 10,000 euros]. Le Nouvel Obs (in French). 28 October 2009.
^ "Amende de 10.000? pour Dieudonné" [Fine of 10,000? for Dieudonné]. Le Figaro (in French). Agence France-Presse. 27 October 2009.
^ "VIRY Firmin". Réunionnais du Monde (in French). January 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
^ Firmin Viry discography at Discogs