Zouglou

The zouglou is a Musical genre of Ivory Coast which makes it possible to the young people of the Ivory Coast to today describe the problems and the evils of the company in which they live. It is, according to its creators (student of the Université of Abidjan to the campus of Yopougon, members of the group parents of the campus ) a “philosophical dance which makes it possible the student to be released…”

Birth

One locates the creation of the zouglou at his “date birthday” of the April 21st 1990 (the 10th birthday of the zouglou take place on Friday, April 21, 2000 all along the street Princesse with Yopougon). This musical movement is the first to represent the birth of this new nation of the Ivory Coast. Indeed, if it takes as a starting point traditional sonorities like the Ziglibiti of Ernesto Djédjé, it is of an urban inspiration that the first “notes” of Zouglou emerge: Wôyôs. The latter are at the origin of the songs of streets improvised between small groups of “pals” brought together in the streets of the district where in a maquis. The cultural events such as the competitions of Football in the open air (commonly called “Maracanas” or Small-Posts) are the occasion for bands of singers (often very young people) to give of representation. The instrumental ones have a place important and are for most of the time the percution on the metal object recovered thanks to another more handy in generally in the shape of stick. And it should be noted that the zouglou is a music which saw its growth grace the student's medium of the Ivory Coast.

Podium

But it is well the Podium emission which will be used as major springboard with the development of this musical genre. This televised program is a precursor of emissions such Recherche of the Nouvelle Star in France or American Idol in the United States with the difference which put in competition groups and not singers (even if there exist however individual rewards). It is during Podium and of its Environment-easy sequence that the Ivory Coast will be identified finally around a truly national music.

A music abidjanaise and truly of the Ivory Coast

So up to that point of the singers like Bailly Spinto or Alpha Blondy much more known had succeeded in carrying high the colors of the music of the Ivory Coast, it should however be noted that their songs were of inspiration of the French folklore for one or completely Reggae for the others. The rock'n'roll, with for example Gnahoré Jimmy, at that time also tried to be made a place. Other traditional songs also drew their pin from the play. But this time a music “of the Ivory Coast” had been born. It was more strongly even about an urban music specific to the town of Abidjan

This concept evolved/moved to inspire by new musical genres and dances (Mapouka, Gnakpa, Half-compartment-shifted, Youssoumba, etc) promoted by youth.

Example of song

Poignon -
Series C (Hope 2000)
Ivoilien (Mechanics)
the Life (Small Yode and the Siro child)

The zouglou in 2007

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