Olombelo Ricky
Olombelo Ricky — The Malagasy Connection
Ricky Randimbiarison, known to audiences simply as Olombelo Ricky, is one of Madagascar’s most distinctive and influential voices — a singer, composer, and cultural visionary who blends ancestral Malagasy rhythms with universal messages of balance and humanity.
His connection with MELT 2000 began when label founder Robert Trunz invited him to record in the UK as part of a new wave of African artists redefining world music for the new millennium. The result was the self-titled album Olombelona Ricky (MELT 2000 / BW113, 2000), produced by Brazilian percussion legend Airto Moreira.
Recorded at Brownhill Farm Studios in West Sussex, UK — the creative home of B&W Music and MELT 2000 — the sessions brought together Airto’s percussion and production with Ricky’s grounded Malagasy songwriting and spiritual energy. The album introduced Ricky’s trademark sound: an earthy yet contemporary fusion of traditional poly-rhythms, chants, and acoustic instrumentation. Songs such as “Adolantsento,” “Tsy Hiady,” “Imamohamandray,” and “Zanahary” revealed an artist both poetic and political, celebrating life while reflecting on social responsibility and moral renewal.
More than a singer, Ricky is a cultural teacher who views music as a tool for awareness and transformation. In 2014, he became part of the Forest Jam initiative founded by Robert Trunz, Matthias Abächerli, Fabio Meier, and Lesiba Frank Magongwa — a platform uniting musicians across generations and continents. During the first Forest Jam Melchtal gathering in Switzerland, Ricky led workshops and shared his knowledge with young musicians, among them bassist Matthias Abächerli.
Later that same year, Robert Trunz and Matthias Abächerli travelled to Madagascar, where they spent three months with Ricky conducting musical and cultural research. This residency deepened the collaboration and laid the foundation for later recordings and performances that connected the Forest Jam network to the island’s vibrant traditions.