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:
Serena Williams is undoubtedly one of the greatest tennis players to grace the court. In…
At the age of sixteen, LeAnna Roberts made headlines when she graduated from the University…
Will.i.am is a musician, producer, technologist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Born Williams Adams, the musician turned…
Ohemaa Nyanin has been named the general manager of the WNBA Golden State team. Nyanin,…
Meet Allen Onyema; he is the founder of Nigeria’s largest carrier, Air Peace. The Nigerian…
Alicia Keys has reached a new milestone with her musical "Hell's Kitchen" as it has…
Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles decided to commemorate her first wedding anniversary to NFL star…
Authorities in Pennsylvania have arrested and charged a 26-year-old man who was seen allegedly attempting…
British female darts player Deta Hedman withdrew from the Denmark Open over the weekend after…
A New York-based Ghanaian couple accused of fatally beating their 5-year-old son was on May…
Former beauty queen Elizabeth Hunterton, who was abandoned in an airport as a newborn in…
It was an act of goodwill with no intended expectation in mind. Donating his only…
Get to know Ms. Catherine Kuupol, a mineral engineer who has provided metallurgical technical services…
Yves-Ann Comeau, 18, is gaining attention for her recent accomplishment of being accepted into 17…
Lawyers say they are considering a boycott of a court following an incident where up…