High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The music of Madagascar evinces a blend of cultural influences and can be roughly divided into three categories: traditional, contemporary, and popular music. Instruments and vocal styles, as well as the style and purpose of music, traditionally vary widely from one region to the next. The oldest musical traditions are those of the Highland peoples (including the Merina and Betsileo) [citation needed], who trace their ancestry back to the original Malayo-Polynesian settlers.