Côte d’Ivoire’s music draws on many regional traditions while its cities have become major centers for styles including reggae, zouglou, coupé-décalé, dance music, and modern West African pop.
Each of the more than sixty ethnic groups of Ivory Coast has its own folk music traditions, most showing strong vocal polyphony (a common characteristic of African music), especially the Baoulé. Talking drums are also common, especially among the Appollo, who are also known for their abissa purification dance, part of the popular Zoblazo dance music of Meiway. Polyrhythm, another African characteristic, is found throughout Ivory Coast, and is especially common in the southwest.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia’s “Music of Ivory Coast” article.
Ivorian reggae star Alpha Blondy’s live performance of “Jerusalem” shows the international reach of one of Côte d’Ivoire’s most recognizable musical voices.
This playlist broadens the selection beyond reggae to offer additional examples from Côte d’Ivoire’s varied popular music scene.