Slam, a poetic art on the Ivorian scene
At the crossroads of poetry and performing arts, slam quickly established itself in Côte d’Ivoire as an essential artistic genre. Since the early 2000s, this form of oral expression has enjoyed growing success in the country, attracting a loyal and fervent audience. To understand the reasons for this popularity, RFI gave a voice to the slammers of Abidjan, both on stage and off.
Slam is much more than a simple poetic gathering. It is a truly interactive show, where the artists interact with their audience, sometimes improvise, whisper, chant or even rap their texts. This stage dimension and this variety of styles have allowed slam to find its place in Ivory Coast and to become more professional over the years.
According to Bee Joe, slammer since 1990 and president of the Ivorian Slam Federation, slam is experiencing remarkable evolution: “It’s evolving well! We started with just two spectators, and today we manage to fill rooms with 600, 800, even 1,500 seats. When we participate in international competitions, we are considered among the best. We finished 3rd in the world and are semi-finalists this year. I think this is due to our diversity. Each slammer, each artist brings their personal touch. Here, there is rhythm, impact, percussion. »
One of the key elements of the success of slam in Ivory Coast lies in its ability to constantly reinvent itself. While the field was initially dominated by men, recent years have seen the emergence of a new female slam star, Amee. This young slammer tackles political and feminist themes in her texts, which was rare at the time. She explains: “The fact that I have committed texts talking about the condition of women simply reflects what I experienced and what I witnessed on a daily basis. The slam world, although rather male-dominated, is surprisingly one of the places where women are the most respected and feel the most comfortable. »
To promote and develop slam in Ivory Coast, the Au Nom du Slam collective organizes the Babi Slam festival each year, which attracts international artists. This year, a young French slammer, Chloé M, was invited to participate in the jury. She expresses her fascination with slam in Ivory Coast: “When I was asked to come and slam in Ivory Coast, I immediately said yes! I find this great, because in France, slam is not yet very widespread, not everyone knows it yet. I was already telling myself that we needed to make slam known in France, but I didn’t realize that there were slam artists in many other countries, particularly in Africa where slam is intense! »
The slam scene in Ivory Coast has nearly 200 artists listed by the Ivorian Slam Federation, to which are added hundreds of passionate amateur slammers. This art form continues to develop and attract an ever-increasing audience, thanks to its creativity, its diversity and its ability to touch spectators in the heart. At the crossroads of poetry and music, slam continues to vibrate the Ivorian artistic scene and carry strong and committed messages.