Madagascar is one of the world’s more intriguing destinations. If it is famous for anything – apart from sharing a name with a truly terrible film franchise – it is probably for its wildlife, much of which is found nowhere else. But whereas most people have at least an idea of what a lemur looks like, the history and culture of the Malagasy people are much less well-known. This is a pity, since they could hardly be more interesting or unexpected. I began to appreciate this when, outside a church in Antananarivo – still one of the more attractive capital cities, despite its pollution and over-crowding – I realised that the hymns to which I was listening were being sung in Norwegian...