Birth of the coupé-décalé
If the Magic System group was the first to contribute to the internationalization of Ivorian music - in this case, zouglou - today, even those who have never been to Côte d'Ivoire know or have heard of coupé-décalé and identify it with this country. What makes this movement so special is that, unlike other local musical genres, it was not born in Côte d'Ivoire, but in Paris! In the early 2000s, a group of party-goers familiar with the Afro nightclubs of the French capital unknowingly initiated what was to prove a veritable musical and social phenomenon. This clique, led by Douk Saga, called themselves the Jet Set to mark their difference from other diaspora revelers, which was reflected in an overkill of show-off and bling. Designer clothes worn close to the body, flashy jewelry and big cars, champagne galore, handing out tickets to performers (the "travaillement") to show off their opulence, and above all a very particular way of dancing. But why "coupé-décalé"? It has nothing to do with the technique of wiggling on the dance floor. The expression comes from the Ivorian street slang, nouchi. For the Ivorian diaspora in France, "couper" means working to earn money, and "décaler" means sending a money order to family back home.
Douk Saga the founding father
Douk Saga is often regarded as the "founding father" of coupé-décalé, but some say he was inspired by a dance from Akoupé in the Atié region. A direct heir to zouglou, he was enthusiastically received in his homeland, where he enabled Ivorians to forget while having fun. Following the attempted coup d'état on September 19, 2002, the country was cut in two and, under a state of emergency, was subject to a curfew that curbed any desire for a fiesta. With its light-hearted lyrics and infectious dance steps, coupé-décalé is the ideal antidote to the prevailing gloom, transcending questions of belonging by uniting Ivorians around dance and entertainment. Whereas zouglou tackles the question of the future in the form of denunciations and demands, coupé-décalé, on the other hand, presents an ideal vision of a golden future in which everyone can project their dreams. This new trend eventually attracted the attention of producer David Monsoh, who convinced the "President" of the Jet Set, Douka Saga, to record the track Sagacité in 2003, which became the anthem and manifesto of coupé-décalé. The clip shows the music, the dance, but also the concepts that go with it: atalaku (sung praise, the art of entertaining and making dedications), farot-farot (showing off), boucantier (who makes people talk about him, a "racket"), and "Travailler" (throwing banknotes).
The first generation of "cutters and scavengers
Le Molare, Boro Sanguy, Lino Versace and Jean-Jacques Kouamé (JJK), also members of the famous "jetset", became other well-known names in this new trend, which gradually conquered a wider audience. By 2005, coupé-décalé had reached its golden age, spreading throughout West Africa. Soon, the "coupeurs-décaleurs" were touring French-speaking Africa, setting every stage on fire and negotiating their fees at a premium. Back home, the number of artists, singers and DJs affiliated with the genre multiplied, their creations more than ever marked by a festive spirit, flirtation and ostentation. Their favorite themes (everyday life, religion, soccer, dreams of material opulence, current affairs...) give rise to a myriad of choreographic concepts, of which DJ Lewis is one of the most prolific artisans. His hit Grippe aviaire (2006), launched at the height of the H5n1 flu pandemic and mimicking the convulsions of a chicken in agony, was an international success. Douk Saga's death in 2006 marked a turning point, with the emergence of artists freed from the influence of the "Old Fathers", producing a coupé-décalé less focused on show-offs. However, the old fathers of coupé-décalé were outnumbered by the younger generation. From 2006 onwards, DJ Arafat and Debordo Leekunfa, Bébi Pilipp, Vetcho Lolas Mareshal DJ occupied the field and kept the upper hand on dancefloors for a very long time. The genre has seen many variations and derivatives, with a new musical and/or choreographic trend directly inspired by coupé-décalé appearing practically every year.
Women take over the mic
But women also make their mark in coupé-décalé, and not just as exotic flowerpots. They've got a sharp tongue, too, starting with the most charismatic. The oldest, Maty Dollar, Molaré's cousin, comes from the American diaspora. She created the Pistolero dance, a hit at the start of the3rd wave of coupé-décalé in 2006. Other female singers on the Ivorian scene include Claire Bailly, who debuted in 2008 with the single A connait pas à demander, and rocked the crowds at the Femua festival in Abidjan in 2019. Then there's Bamba Ami Sarah, who won the Primud trophy in 2019. She told Ivorian youth: " Everything is doable, but not everything is useful. Have God in your life. A true go never backs down". Sandia Chouchou, long in the shadows as a dancer, took to the mic to release her single Koumoucoura. Vitale, a dancer-choreographer, burned up the stage in 2012 with her debut album Premier Pas and singles Goumin Goumin and Dôyô Dôyô, celebrating African women. Dubbed "Beyonce d'Afrique" and then "La Patronne", she is an outsider on the Ivorian scene. A new generation of women in this musical genre is still at the top of the bill, and is more than ever an integral part of popular culture in Côte d'Ivoire and even West Africa.
The new generation of men is on the move
The genre is enjoying dazzling success, with the first ambassadors from 2005-2015 now joined by the next generation. Serge Beynaud made a name for himself in 2012 and especially in 2014 with his album Talehi, thanks to his mentor Bébi Philip. Outsiders include Safarel Obiang with his manger chier, thetwo foals of Serges Beynaud (and his Star Factory Musik label) who released pohi ka maka together and then solo zikabahoum for Ramses Tikaya and Aloukou for Salvador. But above all Ariel Sheney, DJ Arafat's foal, who is exploding the charts today. He's the new king of the dancefloor. His best-known track, Amina, tells the story of a love affair in a different register from the usual coupé-décalé hits. Amina is played by Togolese actress and model Maria Mobi in the video. Ariel Sheney seems to be moving towards a more reasoned version of coupé-décalé. In an interview with Trax magazine in 2020, he declared: "For a few years now, coupé-décalé has been the scene of clashes that have no reason to exist. There was already this battle aspect, this competition that pushed artists to work, but it's gone too far. It's become tiresome for fans. Our role, as the new generation, is to show the older generation that war can be musical, but it mustn't become physical. There are children watching us, and we have to set an example. Coupé-décalé is designed to bring joy, nothing more. It's a way for the new generation to distance themselves from their elders and learn from past conflicts that have tarnished the image of coupé-décalé over the years.
The rise and death of DJ Arafat
DJ Arafat, real name Ange Didier Houon, became a legend even before his sudden death in August 2019. King of coupé-décalé, the "President of Angry China", a nickname given to his fans "as numerous as the Chinese", effectively galvanized immeasurable crowds. Born in 1986 in Yopougon, he got his start in one of Abidjan's biggest maquis, Shanghaï, where he was spotted by producer Roland le Binguiste. Revealed to the public by Hommage à Jonathan in 2003, he took the name Dj Arafat, as his Lebanese friends nicknamed him Yasser Arafat, after the Palestinian leader, for his leadership temperament and undeniable charisma. In 2005, he moved to Paris to DJ in the capital's Afro clubs. He released the opus Femmes and the single Paris-Abidjan in 2007, before being deported (as he was undocumented) to Côte d'Ivoire. Back in the maquis of the famous Rue Princesse in Yopougon, he teamed up with another coupé-décalé star who would become his best enemy, Debordeaux Leekunfa. By 2008, Arafat's beats were thumping in all the right clubs, and his new dance track Kpangor was being performed on dancefloors all over Abidjan, and even French-speaking West and Central Africa. The singles "Lebede 2", "25 25 Arachide" and "Bouddha" top the African charts. His discography is packed with freestyles and attalakus that have become classics, such as the Stéphane Sessègnon special, Interdit aux moins de 30 ans, Retour en clash and Cadeau de fin d'année. Arafat, also nicknamed Yorobo, is heard morning, noon and night in markets, maquis, cabs, everywhere, at full volume, from Dakar to Kinshasa. Footballer Samuel Eto'o, a fan of the singer, even gave him an €80,000 watch and a state-of-the-art BMW in 2009.
DJ Arafat continues to feature with Nigerians Davido and J-Martin, Togolese Toofan and Congolese Fally Ipupa. Arafat is at loggerheads with Debordo, his former stage partner, and the clash between the two singers is never-ending, with each firing back at the other from one concert to the next, from one sound to the next. But Arafat also clashed with Serge Beynaud in 2014, when his hit Okeninkpin overshadowed the King. The latter called him a "faggot" before publicly apologizing and repeating the insult. Until his death, the two coupé-décalé stars competed with each other both on stage and in the production of their respective foals.
Despite being one of the most influential coupé-décalé singers on the Ivorian scene, he died in a motorcycle accident on August 11, 2019, plunging his fans into collective despair and hysteria. The 2 Plateaux polyclinic was taken by storm on the day of the announcement, many not daring to believe it, and his grave was even desecrated after his burial, following rumors claiming he was still alive. Political leaders, soccer stars and artists paid him a heartfelt tribute, and a ceremony at the Félix-Houphouët-Boigny stadium brought together over 35,000 fans "from the People's Republic of China", demonstrating the singer's immense popularity.
