Les Patrons and zouglou

Les Patrons have been attacking Abidjan’s clubs and airwaves with a slew of infectious zouglou hits. Atito, Triste Destin, Conseils all display the Patrons’ mixture of traditional rhythms with hip hop and R & B aesthetics. Familiar sounds for anyone who’s spent more than 5 minutes in Côte d’Ivoire in recent years.

Zouglou came about in the 1980s, it first evolved around student protests and has become a social voice, much like hip hop, it’s american cousin.  It is usually sang in nouchi, the Ivorian French slang spoken in Abidjan. With coupé décalé, zouglou has become one of the dominant styles in Ivory Coast. And you’ may have already heard this huge zouglou hit:

Alassane Sy – Ngatamaré

Alassane Sy had an office career until recently, when he decided to go back to his true passion: music. On our first release, Akwaaba wo Africa, we’re featuring one of Alassane’s most bautiful songs, Ngatamaré, which means rain in wolof, Senegal’s dominant language. More generally ngatamaré is synonymous with abundance, and in the song the word refers to Maimouna Sow, a woman who fills her home and friends with her abundance of care and respect.

Alassane Sy - Akwaaba Wo Africa