MusicAbidjan

Côte d'Ivoire's popular music

Zouglou & Coupé-décalé

✓ Verified · 3 sources

Zouglou emerged in 1990 among university residences in Yopougon, Abidjan, singing about daily life with humour and self-mockery. Coupé-décalé is party dance music started in the early 2000s by the Ivorian diaspora in Paris, often with displays of wealth and money-throwing. In Nouchi, the 'gaou' of 'Premier Gaou' means a fool or a newbie.

Zouglou was born in a time of student protest and economic slump, a way of laughing through hardship; Coupé-décalé was born in the crisis years, fighting heaviness with lightness and show.

CE QUE VOUS VERREZ · What you will see

In a maquis the whole room sings along to a song with funny lyrics; at weddings people dripping in gold dance and throw money.

POURQUOI · So what

They are the sound of Abidjan. Magic System's 'Premier Gaou' (2000) was a hit across the French-speaking world and carried Ivorian pop culture worldwide.

SAVOIR-FAIRE · How to use it

Humming 'Premier Gaou' brings people closer instantly. Moving a little when Coupé-décalé comes on in a maquis works better than anything else.

Asian and European parallelsZouglou is like Taiwanese-language pop: everyday language about everyday life, with self-mockery and warmth.

Where to experience itMaquis, weddings, clubs; FEMUA.