A few facts to let you know where Ameega is coming from

Despite the fact that there was no room for Funk in the 80's at the production level, it was not because of a lack of artists and composers… Ameega was one of them.
.. The origins of the Ameega concept

AMEEGA is the stage name for Zo A.R a musician haling from Madagascar, a self-taught composer-arranger, who founded several Funk bands in Madagascar as well as in France. Zo's original songs, were the cornerstone of the Funk movement in Madagascar as well as France. These are not just archeological material. They are still very much 'alive' because they were played, published and covered by the media.

  • Oscar & Bravo : 1980 -Madagascar -styles : FUNK, LATIN
  • A Scent of Vaina : 1982 - France -styles : FUNK,TERNO*
  • Z.Point : 1985 - France -styles : FUNK, SOUL, RAP
  • The Smile : 1986 - France -styles : FUNK, SOUL, RAP, GOGO
  • Ze Smile : 1988 - France -styles : TERNO, FUNK, LATIN
  • Prémices : 1989 - France - styles : FUNK, SOUL (Français)
  • Soul Request :1995 - France-styles : FUNK, SOUL (reprises)
  • Pure : 1998 -Madagascar -styles : FUNK (reprises)
  Zo's involvment in Funk reached it's peak in 1993 when he founded a Funk specialised label in Grenoble : ZIMPEDANCE. An album entitled 'UNDELIBLE' came out of this experience, mixing Funk and Terno under the band name ZE SMILE. The meaning of the whole album was that funk is within us and cannot be erased. That album was produced by Amiga Loba for ZIMPEDANCE.

Released on tape, it was distributed in Madagascar and in the South-East of France and received rave reviews based on the band's creativity from such magazines as Keyboards, Ecoutez Voir etc… It was supported through a lot of gigs! Ze Smile was reputated funky and "authentic", and mostly known to be the first band ever, to play Zo's exclusive musical style : the TERNO !!*

UNDELIBLE's funk had already gone beyond the 80's sound.

listen some Funk samples (bad recording, please listen only to the groove, LOL !)

Still, the total lack of support on a national level for any kind of FUNK (artists or albums) by the major record companies, was the reason why the label subsequently folded in 1994.

But lessons were learned through this experience..Within the musical industry, everything should fit a format or be presented under certain guidelines. That's why Zo chose to distribute his music under two different stage names. When Ze SMILE was going with the Terno sound, Ameega was more Funk oriented.

* TERNO is Zo's own style, created since 1983 : a mixing of Funk sound and malagasy ternary rythm (6/8, 12/8). The Terno songs are sung in malagasy.