Zouglou, a piece that questions the necessity and legitimacy of revolt, of struggle, had its first presentation on Sunday, March 6, 2022, at the Kodjo Ebouclé hall during the 12th MASA. The choreographer-performer Hyppolite Bohouo, accompanied by Ange Deroux on vocals, made a sensation on stage. As much by his gestures and his technique as by his approach of the stage. The public gave them back well.
These are the questions: do you have a struggle, a revolt on a daily basis? Personal and / or collective? What is it? That this choreographic show tries to answer.
For the record, to set the context, it is good to know that in 1990, at the advent of multiparty politics and at the height of political and social demands in Côte d’Ivoire, voices are raised in the university city of Yopougon, a popular township of the economic capital of Côte d’Ivoire (nicknamed the Kwazulu natal, in reference to the autonomous region of South African Zulu) to decry the difficult living conditions and studies on university campuses. The « Parents du Campus », a student musical group, carry the voice of this generation of Ivorians and their academic and social problems in the very first zouglou song Gboglo Koffi. This song refers to the hyena, an animal renowned in African tales for its troubles.
« Zouglou » is an ode to urban rhythm.
The fact of having started with a delay did not affect the quality of the performance of the two artists. The audience was not bored. This choreographic piece by Hippolyte Bohouo of the company Bog’Arts.