In 1992, Malagasy folk icon Dama Mahaleo was pursuing his ongoing quest for talented musicians from the rural areas when he discovered Ernest Randrianasolo (a.k.a. D'Gary), a phenomenal guitar innovator. In the remote Bara village of Betroka, D'Gary grew up playing ukulele-like kabosy, the mouth bow and any other instrument he got his hands on. Using a borrowed guitar, D'Gary came up with 11 guitar tunings and a variety of fingerpicking techniques to convey the music of traditional instruments like the valiha and marovany harps and the kabosy. D'Gary's instrumental brilliance and sweet songs about nature and daily life proved a winning complement to Dama's artistry, and the next year, they recorded The Long Way Home, an adventurous duo album featuring guest spots by prominent musicians from Louisiana, where they recorded. D'Gary has gone on to record and perform with his own group, Jihé.