Popular music
The independence of Côte d'Ivoire in 1960 marked a distinct revival for Ivorian popular music. And this was as early as the very day of independence, 7 August 1960, when the young Amédée Pierre (1937-2011) performed for the first time in concert in Treichville. Until là̀, French variété́, Ghanaian highlife and Congolese rumba dominated the Ivorian music scene. But in one night, the man the country will soon call "le dopé national" ("national nightingale" in bété) will change all that. Composing in his mother tongue, Bété, he was the first to emancipate himself from the tutelage of the old power and to mix traditional rhythms with modern pop. Author of numerous records, all of which were popular hits, he became in a few years the "olêyê", the precursor who was to pave the way for specifically Ivorian songs and music. Farewell to French or Spanish, the new stars sang in their mother tongue, most often in Bété or Dioula. It was also at this time that women officially entered the Ivorian music industry with artists such as the Comoé Sisters, twins of Baoulé origin discovered in the early 1960s by Ivorian Information Minister Mathieu Ekra (and co-author of the Ivorian national anthem, L'Abidjanaise
). True pioneers who paved the way for others (Aïcha Koné, Reine Pélagie, Chantal Taïba...), more numerous from the 1970s onwards.And the 1970s, precisely, will be marked by the arrival of James Brown in Abidjan. A passage in the country that left a lasting impression on the local youth, notably a certain Ernesto Djédjé (1947-1983), discovered by Amédée Pierre. Determined to revolutionize Ivorian music, he was interested in disco as well as rumba, while continuing his "research music" which draws heavily on tradition. But it was Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, which he discovered during a stay in Nigeria, that triggered the trigger. Shortly afterwards, Djédjé gave shape to his musical revolution by creating ziglibithy, a style inspired by the traditional sounds of the Ivorian West (notably tohourou, the oratory art of sung poetry) to which the artist associated funk. Both a musical genre and a traditional-modern dance, ziglibithy conquered the country with the release of Ziboté
in 1977, a manifesto album and founder of the genre. Renowned as much for his glam-funk style and his Afro-favourite haircut as for his stage shows and hip swinging, the "National Gnoantré" is considered the inspiration for two aesthetics that were to become among the most important in the country: zouglou and coupé-décalé. Following in the footsteps of their illustrious elder Ernesto Djédjé, several crooners with golden voices will embody the happy fusion of traditional music with the musical trends of the time (gospel, soul, funk, etc.). Among them, François Lougah, was a monument of Ivorian song and an exceptional showman. Nicknamed the "Papa National", he is considéré́ as one of the precursors of the sape. Let us also mention Bailly Spinto, "the singer with a voice of a thousand and one octaves", "the man with a golden voice" or the "bété nightingale", very influenced by religious singing and artists such as Otis Redding, Percy Sledge, Wilson Picket or Tom Jones. Before the wave of zouglou and its emanation the coupé-décalé flooded the airwaves around the world, it is through reggae that Côte d'Ivoire nurtured its international reputation.The reggae
Abidjan is thus considered the third world capital of reggae after Kingston and London, and this since 1982. It is this year that the shock wave Brigadier Sabari
("Brigadier pardon!") occurs. This song, written in Dioula by a young Rasta named Seydou Koné - alias Alpha Blondy - was the beginning of a long and prosperous career for the man who was to become an international icon and marked the birth of African reggae, of which Ivorian singers were to become the best ambassadors. As a tool for awareness and denunciation of the suffering of the people, this musical style has found in Africa a particularly favorable ground for its development. If the hits of Alpha Blondy, the "Ivorian Marley", and his successor, the pan-Africanist prophet Tiken Jah Fakoly, have largely exceeded the national borders, the local scene, extremely rich and dynamic, has many talented singers and groups. Infusing the whole of Ivorian society, reggae is not confined to the many dedicated places in the economic capital, but is also played in the maquis, bars, homes, cabs, and is broadcast on a large scale on the country's airwaves. The genre is also dedicated within a festival that has become major: the Abi Reggae Festival. In addition to concerts given by international stars (Alpha Blondy, Kojo Antwi...), mythical groups and Jamaican artists (Third World, Morgan Heritage, Ky-Mani Marley), the Abi Reggae hosts conferences and thematic colloquiums bringing together many academic luminaries of reggae and the Rastafari movement (Helene Lee or Julius Garvey - son of the illustrious Marcus Garvey). In addition to this great meeting, fans of the genre are like fish in water in Côte d'Ivoire. The country is full of dedicated addresses, starting with the temple: the Parker Place. Directly inspired by Jamaican pubs in London, the place combines a golden acoustic with the latest trends in reggae. The ideal address to appreciate local and international talents. In Cocody, there is alsoAZK Live. In addition to its breathtaking view on the lagoon, the place remains a reference of reggae in Abidjan thanks to its well-crafted programming.The zouglou and the coupé-décalé
Shortly after the reggae explosion, the economic recession of the 1980s gave birth to the first musical current uniting all Ivorians: zouglou. The response of a disenchanted youth to the end of Houphouët's agitated reign, this music of social and political protest was characterised by lyrics with bittersweet irony and a tendency towards humour and self-mockery. An innovative genre made by and for young people, zouglou is inspired in particular by tohourou (also one of Ernesto Djédjé's musical references) andaloukou (a traditional Bete dance accompanied by percussion ensembles), which were very popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Musically speaking, zouglou is based on a style of singing known as "easy ambience" or "wôyô", with rhythmic hand clapping and drumming on makeshift supports such as metal scrapers, empty bottles, crates or drums. From 1990 onwards, the zouglou movement, relayed by students, took on a clearly demanding colour, with young people finding it an ideal platform for participation in public debate, as well as a direct means of addressing the authorities. If you're wondering who the stars of zouglou are, you might know them, since it's Magic System. These "Old Fathers" of zouglou - who in the early 2000s were a resounding success in France - enjoy a capital of unfailing sympathy, even if some purists accuse them of making music for "benguists" ("French people"). Extremely influential in the country, the Magic System remain a great national pride and are very involved in good works through their foundation. In addition to the "old fathers", other important names in the genre include Didier Bilé, self-proclaimed "king of zouglou" or Les Garagistes, authors of Tapis Rouge
, THE great classic of the genre.If Magic System was the first to contribute to the internationalization of Ivorian music, today, even those who have never been to Côte d'Ivoire know or have heard of the coupé-décalé. A key element of "ivoirité", paradoxically born in Paris (in the early 2000s) among the Ivorian diaspora, the coupé-décalé is today a national monument of the country and its icon DJ Arafat, a legend.
Among the constellation of places dedicated to "enjaillement", one of the most emblematic is the Internat. Nicknamed the "Temple of Zouglou", the place is a space for popular festivities and a real dive into the heart of the Ivorian soul. An experience similar to what one could feel at PAM's. More than a simple live bar, the latter is at the same time an institution, a state of mind and a reference of live music in Abidjan. A very nice address for zouglou and coupé-décalé. Last but not least, the 40/40 Club ("Forty-Forty Club") has been one of the unmissable nightclubs of the Ivorian economic capital for several years. A guarantee of quality: the owner, the famous Gros Bedel, was elected "best club manager" at the 2017 Coupé Décalé́ Awards.Alternative scenes
Another musical current inseparable from Côte d'Ivoire, the very lively and popular zoblazo
, which got the whole country dancing in the 1990s, remains timeless today. Created by Désiré Frédéric Ehui dit Meiway, the style blends contemporary sounds with the traditional and festive rhythms of the Ivorian south coast and Ghana. Overflowing with an irresistible and communicative energy, zoblazo is traditionally danced with a white handkerchief, a symbol of peace, joy and purity.In recent years, an interesting jazz scene has also emerged which, although still confidential, has a growing number of followers. A musical style that is unloved because it is associated - in Côte d'Ivoire as in the rest of the world - with elitist and bourgeois music, jazz today has a few major events in the country, such as L'Émoi du jazz, initiated in 2009 by the late Désiré Coffi Gadeau or the Abidjan Jazz by BICICI, which has become a must since its first edition in 2012 and which has seen a beautiful panel of international stars including the huge Salif Keita, Cheick Tidiane Seck and of course the "Elephants" and leaders of Ivorian jazz: the bassist Luc Sigui, the saxophonist Isaac Kemo and the bassist and pianist Évariste Yacé, with at their head the living monument and legendary drummer Paco Sery.Abidjan also has some great venues for a concert, such as Filjim
, a club run by Philippe Tissot, an informed music lover, or L'Entrepôt, a beautiful place that regularly schedules very successful Jazz Nights. Of course, it's impossible to avoid electronic music. In the East (Uganda, Tanzania) as well as in the West (Ghana, Senegal, Mali) - and many in South Africa - the African continent has seen the emergence over the last two decades of hotbeds of avant-garde electronic music, led by the very dynamic label and festival Nyege Nyege Tapes. Côte d'Ivoire, which is well established in this dynamic, is not to be outdone and sees artists such as Raoul K and Abidjan collectives such as AkwaBeat shine internationally. For amateurs, the Bushman Café, a major centre of Abidjan's cultural and social life (located in Cocody), presents itself as an alternative ecosystem engaged in a process of "African aesthetic renaissance", of which electronic music is one of the key trends. A real crossroads of electro in the country.
