Ziglibithy, Funk and Reggae: The Fragile Memory of Ivory Coast's Golden Years of Music
An RFI report revisits two decades when Abidjan set West Africa dancing, a musical heritage now under threat that collectors and archivists are attempting to preserve.
Sequined costumes, orchestras performing live on television, vinyl records spinning in family living rooms: according to a report broadcast by RFI, Ivory Coast experienced two decades of prosperity for its music, marked in particular by the rise of ziglibithy, as well as funk and reggae influences.
According to the report, Abidjan was a center of musical ferment that radiated beyond Ivory Coast's borders, getting much of West Africa dancing during that era.
RFI notes, however, that this musical heritage is today fragile and threatened with disappearing. Faced with this risk, collectors and archivists are working, according to the report, to preserve this sonic memory record by record, in order to safeguard traces of this period for future generations.
The report, published as a podcast in RFI's "Grand reportage" series, does not specify the exact methods of this preservation work or the scale of funds already collected, but highlights the heritage significance that this music represents for Ivory Coast's cultural history.
Sources
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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