On this day in 1960, Côte d’Ivoire gained independence from France.
Located on the coastline of West Africa, Côte d’Ivoire is known for its vibrant, unique and very diverse culture. Their music, in particular, which is very enjoyable and rhythmic makes a very interesting case. Music genres uniquely vary by ethnic group, however, the most popular genres include Zouglou, Zoblazo and Coupé-Décalé.
Gaining prominence in the mid-1990s, Zouglou music fuses elements of ragga, zouk and soca. Zoblazo, on the other hand, which was also created in the 1990s in Abidjan is characterized by up-tempo urban dance rhythms fused with southern Ivorian traditional dance rhythms. A fusion of zouglou and zouk, Coupé-Décalé, which is also a rhythmic dance music originated in the then-popular nightclubs in Abidjan.
During the Ivorian civil war, locals who fled to France made Coupé-Décalé very popular within the Ivorian community.
To commemorate Côte d’Ivoire’s independence day, Face2Face Africa highlights some popular Ivorian musicians who are well-known superstars within and outside the continent.
Scroll through to read about them and watch some of their popular videos:
