| Coupé-décalé | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Early 2000s |
| Typical instruments |
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Coupé-décalé (French pronunciation:[kupedekale]) is a type of popular dance music originating inCôte d'Ivoire. Drawing heavily fromzouglou andndombolo with African influences, coupé-décalé is a very percussive style, featuring African samples, deep bass, and repetitive minimalist arrangements.[1][2][3][4]
The genre was developed around 2001 by a group of young Ivorianclub promoters and performers known as the Jet Set, led byDouk Saga. These performers, referred to asatalakus (hype men), gained recognition for their flamboyant performances, ostentatious fashion, and theatrical displays of wealth.[5] The movement popularizedNouchi slang terms such asfarot farot (to flaunt wealth) andtravaillement (lavish distribution of cash), drawing inspiration fromCongolesesapeur subculture.[5] The terms "coupé" ("to cheat") and "décalé" ("to run away") were introduced by DJ Jacob in reference to the music and the accompanying dance styles, although Douk Saga is credited with creating and globalizing the concept, particularly with the 2003 hit "Sagacité".[5][6]
Coupé-décalé emerged as a dominant cultural force during the political and social unrest that followed the 2002 outbreak of theFirst Ivorian Civil War. Amidcurfews and national division, the genre provided a form ofescapism and expression for Ivorian youth, who gathered inmaquis (local bars) and nightclubs to dance and celebrate resilience.[5] TheYopougon district, particularly Princess Street, became a hub for the movement, where DJs evolved from background figures into leading artists. Each song often introduced a new dance move or gesture, fueling the genre's popularity.[5] The genre's second wave was led by artists such asDJ Arafat, who helped modernize and internationalize the genre with a more aggressiveatalaku style and a digitally driven sound, ultimately becoming one of the genre's most influential figures.[5][7] Other prominent artists includeSerge Beynaud, Debordo Leekunfa, Mix Premier (DJ Mix), DJ Lewis, and others.[5]
| Music of Ivory Coast | ||
| General topics | ||
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| Genres | ||
| Specific forms | ||
| Nationalistic and patriotic songs | ||
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| Regional music | ||
Francophone Africa | ||
Coupé-décalé, widely regarded as the defining popular music genre of Côte d'Ivoire, originated not inWest Africa but among theIvorian diaspora in Paris. The genre was initiated in the early 2000s by a group of young Ivorian partygoers known asatalakus, a term referring to club hype men, who frequented the Atlantis nightclub in northeastern Paris.[8][6][9] This group, known as the Jet Set, and led by pioneering figureDouk Saga, became notable for their high-energy performances,flamboyant fashion, and ostentatious displays of wealth, including the act of throwing cash to clubgoers, a practice referred to astravaillement. Their aesthetic, heavily influenced by Congolesesapeurs, emphasized flashy clothing and theatrical showmanship, and played a central role in defining the genre's visual and performative identity.[5][6]
Coupé-décalé derives its name fromNouchi, an Ivorian street slang. According to journalist Siddhartha Mitter,coupé translates to "cheat" anddécalé to "run away", symbolizing a rebelliousethos often interpreted as "cheating the system" and escaping, typically from Western or colonial structures, in a manner reminiscent of the idea of "The Man" in Americancounterculture.[6] Early songs in the genre often celebrated individuals who had achieved success abroad through cunning or resourcefulness. The termboucantier (literally, "shoemaker" in French) came to refer to artists with a flamboyant or unconventional style, and later to fans and imitators of the movement.[10]
However, alternate interpretations of the genre's terminology exist. According to musicologist Olivier Rivera Micalef inTradition et modernité dans la musique de l'Afrique occidentale, DJ Jacob was the first to use the terms "coupé" (interpreted as "cut") and "décalé" ("shift") in reference to specific dance steps performed by the Jet Set.[11] While DJ Jacob contributed the vocabulary, Douk Saga is widely credited with conceptualizing and popularizing the movement globally.[11]
The genre's breakthrough hit, "Sagacité", was released byDouk Saga during theFirst Ivorian Civil War. The song, which prominently featuredatalaku vocal techniques, resonated deeply in a society facing political instability and socio-economic hardship.[12][13]
"[Coupé-décalé ] has become very popular at a time of conflict; in fact, the country, has been going through this protracted political and military crisis, with debilitating social and economic effects".[6]
Although arising from this time of political turmoil, coupé-décalé lyrically addresses topics such as relationships, earning money and maintaining a good mood or 'bonne ambiance'. Much of its lyrics refer to specific dance moves, often referencing current events such as theavian flu dance[14] orGuantanamo (with hand movements imitating hands raised in chains).[15] These global themes could have helped to make coupé-décalé so deeply popular across a politically divided Côte d'Ivoire and spread its influence so far across Africa and the diaspora. there has been a growing interest in coupé décalé. In February 2009,Akwaaba Music released an Ivorian and Ghanaian compilation, one of the first legal worldwide releases of coupé décalé, highlighting some of the recent coupé décalé released in Côte d'Ivoire. The compilation features music byDJ Menza,DJ Bonano,DJ Mix 1er & Eloh DJ andKedjevara.
In 2008, Georges Dyoula distinguished 3 waves in the development of coupé-décalé:[16]
In 2005, Vladimir Cagnolari suggested that the music is a way Ivorians are coping with their unstable political situation.
"For a few hours, the rooms is transformed into an ephemeral temple of festival/party, using carefreeness and amusement to counter the socio-political problems of a country still waiting for peace. ... In a musical landscape dominated by patriotic and military music, coupé-décalé arrives like a breath of fresh air to forget the difficult context in which Ivorians are living."[17]
In 2006, Dominik Kohlhagen wrote:
"Over the past three years, coupé-décalé has become one of the most thriving forms of popular music in francophone Africa. Produced by people who claim to have achieved "success" abroad, coupé-décalé represents "elsewhere" as a site from which one can achieve a certain status in consumer society so as to return home to be celebrated. This music expresses generationel transformations that affect lifestyles in Africa as well as ways of projecting oneself in the world."[18]
The prominent artists of coupé-décalé areDouk-Saga (Doukouré) with its Jet Set, DJ Brico, DJ Arsenal,Papa Ministre with his famous tune "Coupé-Décalé Chinois",David Tayorault,Afrika Reprezenta, and many other talented Ivorian artists.DJ Lewis is a particularly notable singer, famous for his Grippe Aviaire Dance (en: avian flu dance).[14]
In 2005,Jessy Matador decided to create his own group called La Sélésao composed of members Dr. Love, Linho and Benkoff. The same members also formed the first edition of the groupMagic System. In late 2007, they signed with Oyas Records before signing with Wagram Records in spring 2008. They released their début single "Décalé Gwada" in June 2008, becoming one of the hits of that summer. On 24 November 2008, the group released the albumAfrikan New Style, a musical hybrid of African and Caribbean influences with more urban sounds. In June 2013, an upbeat dance song was released on YouTube by Minjin titled "Coupé-Décalé". It featuredIyanya, a Nigerian artist famous for his hit single "Kukere".
Coupé-décalé draws its musical foundation from earlier Ivorian styles such asZouglou and youssoumba, and was heavily influenced in its formative years by Congolesendombolo, as well as Cameroonianmakossa andCaribbean musical forms.[8] Language played a notable role in its development, with early tracks often incorporating pseudo-Lingala as noted by Ivorianmusic journalist Diarra Tiemoko.[19][20]
