Côte d'Ivoire is a country of 16 million in an area slightly larger than New Mexico and located on the Gulf of GuinŽa in West Africa, bordered by Ghana on the East; Liberia and GuinŽa on the West; Mali on the Northwest and Burkina Faso on the Northeast.

Tropical rainforests cover the Southern half of the country and taper into rolling savannahs in the North and rise to mountains in the Northwest. A tropical climate extends inland from the coast and becomes semi-arid in the extreme North. There are three seasons: warm and dry (November-March); hot and dry (March to May); hot and wet (June to October).

The rainforests of Côte d'Ivoire were once the largest in Africa, and originally covered virtually the entire country. They are being cut at an alarming rate and now only cover 22% of the country. The entire Northern part of the country has been clearcut. The only remaining virgin forest in the country is Parc National de Ta• in the far Southwest.

Deforestation has led to silt pollution of rivers and streams, water pollution from industrial agricultural effluents, and often torrential flooding in the rainy season. Water pollution from sewage is also a problem.

68% of the populace engaged in some form of agribusiness. Two crops of massive significance on the world market, coffee and cocoa, have flourished in Côte d'Ivoire. In fact, Côte d'Ivoire has been the world's largest producer of cocoa nearly every year since 1980. Other exported crops are bananas, pineapple, rubber, and palm oil. All these crops are subject to severe price fluctuations that buffet an economy, which also took a beating from a drought in 1983-84.

As in all former colonial territories where boundaries were drawn without regard to ethnic, cultural, and religious differences, within the borders of Côte d'Ivoire are juxtaposed over 60 divergent ethnies, which exist in four major groups: Akan (descendants of Asante from Ghana in the East) BaoulŽ, Atche, Agni (IndŽniŽ), Abron, AbŽ, Akies, Nzima, and EbriŽ; Mande (from Mali on the Northwest border)ÑMalinkŽ, Bambara (Bamana), Dan, and Gouro; Voltaic (from the Northeast) Senoufo, Lobi, Dioula, Mossi, and Koulango; Krou in the Southwest and West (from GuinŽa and Liberia) BŽtŽ, Krou, NgŽrŽ, Wobe, GuebiŽ, and Dida.

The largest of these groups are the BaoulŽ which comprise 23% of the populace. The BŽtŽ are next at 18%; the Senoufo are 15%; and the MalinkŽ 11%. 24% of the population is comprised of the remaining fifty-odd ethnic groups. Foreign African workers, mostly from Mali, GuinŽa, and Burkina Faso, constitute another 20% of Ivoiriennes. 2% are Lebanese. Only about 30,000 Fran�ais remain in Côtee d'Ivoire, less than on half of 1% of the inhabitants.

Half the population practices traditional African animist religions. Followers of Islam dominate the Northern part of the country, constituting about 28% of Ivoiriennes. Christians comprise 22% of the population, mostly in the South. Christians and Muslims often also practice animism concurrently.

Despite the potential for conflict, until the militry coup in Winter 1999, C™te d'Ivoire seemed to be an anchor of economic stability and ethnic harmony in sub-Saharan Africa. Close ties with France, a generally high demand for its agricultural and tropical hardwood exports, encouragement of foreign investment, and a strong music industry have made Côte d'Ivoire one of the most prosperous of the tropical Afican states. Côte d'Ivoire has the best and most well-maintained roads in Africa, and Africa's most developed tourist industry.

However, the lion's share of Côte d'Ivoire's prosperity is confined to the country's elite and is proving unlikely to be sustainable without prudent fiscal policies and long range planning. Since a mass exodus of non-African citizens of France after the death of the country's longtime dictator in 1993, the country also has a pressing need for educated and experienced personnel for its economic and civil infrastructure.

Life expectancy in Côte d'Ivoire is 45 years. Two thirds of the urban population lives in slums. 12% are infected with AIDs, the highest percentage in West africa.

Since the 1970s, Côte d'Ivoire has been a major-player in the international music scene. Abidjan, the cosmpolitan capital city, is the musical focal point of West Africa, attracting musicians from across the continent as well as from around the world. Abidjan rivals, or perhaps equals, Paris as a hub for West African music. It is the largest international recording locale in Africa, and is blessed with technically sophisticated recording studios on a par with those in Paris or the US.

Modern Côte d'Ivoirienne music had its beginnings around the time of independence in 1960, shortly after vinyl LPs and 45s replaced the brittle 78. In the 60s, Côte d'Ivoire had native stars in local ethnic areas, but none that truly dominated the nation. The BŽtŽ and the Atche emerged as the most adept musicians, in great part because their cultures love singing and dancing. They do not view musicians in a negative light, as social failures who are frivolous wastrals and womanisers, too lazy to be farmers and unworthy of an education, which is a relatively common attitude in Africa generally, and in Côte d'Ivoire specifically.

The biggest stars of the 1960s were Seours ComšŽ, Yapi Jazz, Anoma Barou Felix & Le Ivoiris Band, N'Douba Simon, and AmŽdŽe Pierre & L'Ivoiro Star. Napounou AmŽdŽe Pierre came on the scene in 1960, the year of independence, rising to fame with the song "Bon CafŽ de Côte d'Ivoire", sung in BŽtŽ. He increased his popularity in the 70s with such songs as "Soklokpeu" and "Dope", and continued to be one of Côte d'Ivoire's most popular performers well into the 1980s.

In late 1974, one of the first recording studio/record presses in Africa was opened in Abidjan, prompting an influx of musicians that transformed Abidjan into the West African hub for musical and cultural exhange. Musicians from all over West Africa came to absorb new rhythms, demonstrate their own native beats, and endeavour to be recorded. Demand soon generated construction of additional recording facilities and pressing plants, and the development of a flourishing recording industry.

Côte d'Ivoire did not go through a protracted war for independence accompanied by an awakening of national pride, which in other countries led to the transposing of traditional indigenous music to modern instruments and lyrics that expressed national pride and revolutionary defiance. Côte d'Ivoire has always been receptive to musical styles from outside its borders, as well as being a melting pot of peoples and cultures. In fact, hit records in the country are frequently in the languages of nearby states: Bambara; Yoruba; Wolof; Douala; Kikongo. This openess coupled with the indifference of the recording industry in Côte d'Ivoire towards indigenous musical styles has diverted native talent and energy, inhibiting the development of an internationally recognised signature homegrown modern Côte d'Ivoirienne style of music and dance, which exists in virtually every other African nation.

Many styles of imported music have left their imprint on music created in Côte d'Ivoire: Congolese music, especially Soukous; Latin American music, particulary Son and Rhumba from Cuba and Merengue from RŽpublica Dominicana; Highlife from Ghana; Bambara, Bajourou and Didadi from Mali; Benga froom Kenya; Makossa from Cameroun; music from Antilles Fran�ais, most notably Zouk from Guadaloupe and Martinique and Compas from Haiti (especially CoupŽ ClouŽ); Reggae from Jamaica; Afro Beat, Panco, and Juju from Nigeria; and American Disco.

Ernesto Djedje was the first musician to export indigenous Ivoirienne music to neighbouring countries. He inspired many musicians by showing that they could make commercial use of their musical heritage. Djedje modernised and popularised Ziglibithy, a highly rhythmic, mid-tempo 6/8 BŽtŽ dance rhythm. Djedje is the most famous and innovative of all Ivoirienne musicians, holding sway from the 1970s until his death in 1983, and his influence continues to be felt.

Following in Djedje's footsteps, Jean Baptiste Zibodi sucessfully took up Zigilibithy, which perpetuated Djedje's legacy, and then expanded to other BŽtŽ styles such as AkoukouÑand beyond.

In the wake of Ernesto Djedje, the 1970s saw a plethora of artists modernising indigenous rhythms: Sery Simplice & Le FrŽres Djatys, were proponents of the heavy-duty Gbegbe rhythm; Fran�ois Lougah propagated Dida rhythms, beginning with his big single "Pekoussa"; GuŽhi Jean, with his band Les Super Banty's de L'Ouest, was the first to sing in his native GuŽrŽ for a national audience; Jimmy Hyacinthe modernised Goli, a BaoulŽ dance; Mamadou Doumbia, who had lived and played in Dakar for five years but was originally from Mali, sang in Bambara and became hugely famous and popular pioneering contemporary use of Bambara rhythms in Côte d'Ivoire; Fax clark, a trumpeter from Tabou in the Southwest had a countrywide hit with "Akpongbo", named after an Agni rhythm which soon found favour with musicians nationally, most notably Bony Pascal & Les Cantadores de la Capitale; Eba Aka Jerome, with the hit single, "Trahison", and Ma•tre Hamad Gazonga & L'International Challel with "Les Jaloux Saboteurs", brought styles from the Southeast characterised by a swift pace and highly active trap drums that recall the Nigerian Panco rhythm; Jean Raph Loumbet & Les Zoulous were the first band based in Côte d'Ivoire to concentrate on Congolese Soukous, which attracted a large and loyal following since Congolese music has always been the most popular and influencial Afarican music in sub-Saharan Africa.

Congolese music has in-turn been heavily influenced by Latin American music. Rhumba, Son, Salsa, and Merengue have taken the entire continent by storm several different times. Two Ivoiriennes who originally came from the Bambara regions to the North are two of the very best practitioners of African Latin music, becoming legendary by journeying to New York to record with musicians who made the records they tried to emulate. The band Africando is based to a large extent upon their pioneering work, and it has seen fit to pay tribute to them.

Laba Sosseh began singing Salsa with the Star Band de Dakar in 1960. He moved to Abidjan and joined Cubano music specialists the Special Liwanza Band, which recorded for producer Aboudou Lassissi's Sacodis label, including the LP "Formidable Laba Sosseh". Lassissi then brought Sosseh as a solo artist to Delta Studios in New York to record the classic LPs, "Salsa Africana Vol.1 & 2". Sosseh subsequently went to Paris to record an LP with Cubano Charangueros Orquesta Aragon, and back to New York to record several LPs for Roberto Torres' Latin record label SARÑmost notably, "Coco Ye". All of these recordings are well-regarded by Latin American music devotŽes in the US, and have become much sought-after collector's items.

Amadou BalakŽ, usually singing in Bambara, was the first African to explore Charanga, recording "Afro-Charanga" in New York. This out-of-print classic was well received by Latin music afici—nados, as well as Ivoiriennes. He is featured on the new Africando CD.

Latin music has also been a key ingredient in the music of Daouda, who was the first Ivoirienne to succeed in Europa and England, and who may be still be the country's best known performer worldwide. Daouda was born Tuo KonŽ Daouda to Burkinabe parents, and has earned the nick-name "Le Sentimental" after his biggest international success to-date. He sings mostly in Fran�ais, hitting the spot with a pleasant, gentle, brand of Soukous that often incorporates large doses of Salsa, Makossa from Cameroun, and local Ivoirienne rhythms. The sweet-singing guitarist's first record in 1976, "Les Gbakas d'Abidjan", propelled him to fame. His second record in 1977, "Les Villageons", allowed him to quit his work as a television technician and pursue music full-time. He followed with such hits as: "Salsa de Niangoloko"; "Bouquet de Fleurs"; "Mon Coeur Balance"; "Le Margouillat"; "Cherie Coco"; "Kalfa Allah Man"; and "La Femme de Mon Patron". He is now based in Paris, and continues to record prolifically.

The 1990s gave rise of three new dominate styles: Zouglou, a rhythm and dance style related to Zouk with very active drums that was started by students as a protest against the entrenched single-party establishment, and whose leading proponent is Frederick Meiway; Polihet, a blazing-fast version of Ziglibithy that is reminiscent of Bikuts’ from Cameroun and most prominently purveyed by GnaorŽ Djimi; and a very fast accoustic variation with accordians and percussion, popularised by the band Zagazougou.

A•cha KonŽ, who sings in the catchy Bajourou style in Bambara, is the most popular chanteuse in Côte d'Ivoire. She achieved particular success with a wonderful combination of African 6/8 and Mambo entitled "Mini Mona", which features horns, strings, and kora.

The recording industry in Côte d'Ivoire has never really encouraged music based upon indigenous rhythms and incorporating indigenous instruments, which is in direct contrast to the country's increasingly xenophobic leanings. Yet, this music has existed since electric instruments first arrived, and an abundance of talented, capable, musicians do continue its underappreciated development.

The sole radio station, Radio Côte d'Ivoire, is a government-owned commercial station with a stranglehold on the success of recorded music sales within the country. It plays what sells, and what it plays sells. If an artist is denied airplay, their career in Côte d'Ivoire is doomed and they usually choose to relocate to Paris or retire.

Until a military coup in Winter 1999 ended 40 years of dictatorial one-party rule and resulted in the establishment of military junta, Côte d'Ivoire had always managed to project the image that it was an anchor of democratic and economic stability in sub-Saharan Africa. This image not only helped create the music scene in Abidjan, it bolstered the Côte d'Ivoirienne economy by encouraging foreign investment, foreign residency, and tourism.

Although the junta was evicted with some difficulty after it tried to disregard recent elections, the country has hardly been stabilised. The strongest opponents were excluded from participation in the election, and the current government of Laurent Gbagbo has a decidedly xenophobic bent, certainly not the stuff to attract foreign artists, investments, or tourists. Quite the contrary, sentiment favouring the expulsion of foreigners seems to be encouraged. There is a very real danger of imprisonment, injury, or death for anyone out of favour at any time. The uncertainty and volatility of the political situation have cast a pall over the Ivoirienne music business, as well as over the economy and life in general. The damage done may never be completely repaired.

Western press coverage of the events in Côte d'Ivoire is shamefully limited. Musique Tropiqueª will continue to monitor events in Côte d'Ivoire that effect Ivoirienne music, and relay that information through this space as it becomes available.

More information on Côte d'Ivoire can be acquired at the following websites:

www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/Country_Specific/Cote.html
www.africa.com/news
www.allafrica.com
www.nabou.com/regional_news/
www.ips.org.index.htm
www.mbendi.co.za

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Biography

Personnel

Côte d'Ivoire