Music of Côte d'Ivoire
Ivoirian music is traditionally composed of multiple rhythms and melodies. All of these elements occur at the same time, but none of them is overpowering. Music has a strong presence in all of the cultures; however, one group that is especially musical is the Dan. For them, music plays a large role in all aspects of life. From special occasions or ceremonies such as a birth, marriage, or death, to everyday occurrences such as farming or predicting the weather, there is always a song. These songs cover a variety of topics, for example religion or nature. Griots are the village entertainers that often perform the music. They use handcrafted instruments that have been made from locally available materials. Some examples of materials that might be used are gourds, animal skins, horns, shells, and seeds. Common instruments that the Griots will play are the talking drum, djembe, and shekere (Youroo).
Besides the traditional Ivoirian music, there is also an element of the Western musical culture in their lives. Many of the younger individuals enjoy listening to American or European music on their radios. Sometimes American or European dances are even performed during village festivities.
Djembe
Drums from the Ivory Coast, such as the one depicted here, are celebrated for their unique timbre and design. This is a picture of a Djembe from the West African Malinke people. The main part of the drum is crafted from a block of wood, and either goat or antelope skin covers the top. The head of this drum is a foot in diameter, and the drum itself is twenty-five inches tall.
Talking drum
While they are held under the musician's arm, talking drums are hit with a beater that has a bent shape. It is said that the talking drum "talks" with the instrumentalist playing it, because as the drum is squeezed, the pitch changes. Thus, this is the origin of its unique name.
Shekere
The shekere is a handcrafted rattle that comes in many shapes and sizes, such as the ones depicted here. It is made from a hollowed out gourd or calabash, which is then covered with a netting of seeds, beads, or shells. This instrument originated in West Africa, and there are unique traditions that each culture has developed with the shekere. Also, many cultures have even developed their own names, and styles or techniques for playing the shekere. Today, the shekere has even become popular throughout the Americas and the Caribbean.
ArtistsAlpha Blondy
Alpha Blondy is one of the most celebrated artists in the Ivory Coast. Known as the Rasta of Cocody, because of one of his most well-known songs .Cocody Rock., he was born in Dimbokoro, Côte d.Ivoire in 1953. He began his musical career early, recording many songs during his teen years, but it was not until the early 1970.s that Reggae really became well-liked throughout West Africa. At this point, Blondy.s career began to excel. By the 1980.s he was touring Africa and producing hit albums.
When Blondy was young, he listened to a lot of African music (for example yagba and gumbe), which explains the distinctive African feel to his music. But since then, he has mainly been influenced by Western bands, including Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Hendrix, the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and most importantly Bob Marley.
Besides his great Reggae music, one of Blondy.s appeals is his diversity. Not only does he sing in five languages (Dioula, English, French, Arabic, and Hebrew), but his twelve-member band, Solar System, also features people from Cameroon, England, France, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, and Togo. Although most of his music features such subjects as peace, love, morality, and societal awareness, the tone of his songs ranges widely, from a feeling of compassionate understanding to a sense of anger over the unjust.
Other Artists
Some of the other most popular artists and groups from the Ivory Coast that you may want to listen to include: Meiway, Monique Séka, Tiken Jah Fakoly, and Zagazougou.
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~RZ