History of Coupé Decalé

Coupé Decalé

The style was born in the French capital. Coupé Decalé is not just music. It's more of a hip hop youth trend. Coupé Décalé means “to cheat” and “runaway” or cut and run.

Doug Saga,  the pioneer of the Coupé Decalé. He contributes with his Ivorian Jet Set group to popularizing in Ivory coast and then in Europe. 
Since 2003, he has been promoted the concepts of Coupé Decalé and work. The work involves throwing banknotes on someone or an artist to encourage them. It also involves showing the person who "works".
Douk Saga promotes a hedonistic lifestyle and displays its material wealth by wearing clothing and jewellery. It is a part of the goers, as they call in Cote d'Ivoire people who like to have fun in the box and talk about them be their ostentatious lifestyle. 
According to his admirers, the first dance steps of the shifted-cut would have been created from the Parisian nightclubs by Douk Saga and his friends including the singer Le Molare, Lionel Patasse said LP and Andy Cacharel.

Douk Saga died Thursday, October 12, 2006, in Ouagadougou, where he was followed, following a chronic pulmonary pathology.
Jet Set was never the same without Douk Saga.

Dj Arafat, Ivorian Dj and singer. He was one of the first musicians who get a million views on YouTube, on the Ivory Coast in less than a day. He became famous because of his song "Moto Moto." He has recorded 11 albums, mostly of Coupé Decalé genre of dance music mixing rapid percussion, choppy rhythms and hip-hop-style vocals. DJ Arafat's popularity has been extended into Europe and the United States, partially thanks to sports stars who have made the dance steps of the genre popular. 
In 2016 and 2017, Dj Arafat was named "Best Artist of the Year" at the Coupé Decalé Ivorian Awards. 
The star of Coupé Decalé died in 2019 on the road accident. 
"The King" died, but his music and dance are still alive.

Dj Arafat

Douk Saga

References:
- Discogs. n.d. Douk Saga. [online] Available at: <https://www.discogs.com/artist/1882321-Douk-Saga> [Accessed 15 March 2020].
- Channels Television. 2019. ‘Africa Has Lost A King,’ Stars, Fans Mourn DJ Arafat. [online] Available at: <https://www.channelstv.com/2019/08/12/africa-has-lost-a-king-stars-fans-mourn-dj-arafat/> [Accessed 15 March 2020].
- CNN. 2016. Coupe-Decale: The Story Behind Ivory Coast's Wartime Parties. [online] Available at: <https://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/30/africa/coup-decale-ivory-coast/index.html> [Accessed 15 March 2020].
- BBC News. 2019. Thousands Pay Tribute To DJ Arafat At Concert. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-49532726> [Accessed 15 March 2020].

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