Jejy voatavo (or stick zither) Ancient Egypt A gourd, a stick, sisal or steel strings 69, 7 cm Museum of Art and Archeology of the University of Antananarivo, Madagascar

The stick zither is a stringed instrument of the family of chordophones.

It is made from a gourd and a stick. There are frets attached to the neck that serve to support the string and tune the instrument.

Originally, there were one or two sisal strings.

Modern stick zithers have 11 to 13 strings, most often in steel.

The jejy voatavo were once played mainly in the highlands but they could also be found more or less throughout Madagascar.

Today, they are played mostly by the Betsimisaraka (people of eastern Madagascar) to accompany rija, chanted stories. The rija are a literary heritage of this region and generally concern epic topics.

The jejy voatavo are played only by men and not everyone are allowed to play them. Knowledge is passed down from father to son. The men who play them must have received their father's blessing. Moreover, players must show signs of maturity, like white hair, because the jejy voatavo are considered to be difficult instruments and players must have a great deal of experience to play them.