[2] At the same time, he studied theater performance for four years under Christiane Ramanantsoa, a leading Malagasy actress, author and promoter of the arts.

In his late teens and early twenties he studied marketing and tourism at ISCAM,[3] with the intent to open a musical production company for the promotion of Malagasy artists.

In particular, he decided to disregard taboos that prevented artists from addressing controversial or delicate topics in song, instead writing slang-infused lyrics that spoke directly to youth concerns.

[5] Samoëla began writing compositions in 1996[1] and gave his first performance that year at the Alliance Francaise in Antananarivo, followed by concerts at numerous other cultural centers across the island.

These performances attracted the attention of a French music magazine publisher, who invited him to contribute to an upcoming compilation album and participate in its promotional tour in France.

In addition to touring across Madagascar, the artist promoted the new release with concerts in Reunion, Mauritius, Seychelles, Kenya, Mozambique and Namibia.

[1] The release of his third album, Efa sy Dimy (2001), was supported by a European tour in 2002 that included Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulon, Lausanne and Munich.

[3] He blends elements of traditional Malagasy music such as southern vocal harmonies and 6/8 rhythms with hip-hop, rap and other contemporary genres.

"[10] A 2012 study published in the Indian Ocean Daily News found that Samoëla had the seventh most "likes" of any Malagasy artist with an official Facebook page.

[13] In 1998, Samoëla performed in a musical play entitled Tana-Cergy written by Vincent Colin and celebrated Malagasy poet Elie Rajaonarison.