Ernesto Djédjé was an Ivorian

Côte d'Ivoire

The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...

 musician from Daloa

Daloa

Daloa is a town in Daloa Department of Côte d'Ivoire, lying west of Yamoussoukro in Haut-Sassandra Region. It has a population of over 100,000. The town is a regional capital and an important trading centre, particularly for cocoa...

. His parents were Wolof

Wolof people

The Wolof are an ethnic group found in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania.In Senegal, the Wolof form an ethnic plurality with about 43.3% of the population are Wolofs...

 and Bété

Bété

Bété may refer to:*Bété people of Côte d'Ivoire*Bété language or languages spoken by them*Bété alphabet*Bété , a small citrus fruit grown in southern Nigeria. Closely related to the lime....

. Djédjé began playing music at fifteen when he became a guitarist with Ivoiro Star, a leading dopé

Dope

Dope may refer to:* Illegal drugs * An idiot...

 band, in 1962. He moved to Paris in 1968 and became a student. He continued to perform and made his first recording with Anoma Brou Felix in 1970 with the help of Manu Dibango

Manu Dibango

-External links:*...

.

In 1972, he returned to his homeland to lead the San Pedro Orchestra. He later formed a band called Les Ziglibithiens and pioneered a musical style called Ziglibithy

Ziglibithy

Ziglibithy is a style of Ivorian popular music that developed in the 1970s. It was the first major genre of music from the Ivory Coast. The first major pioneer of the style was Ernesto Djedje.-References:*...

 based on a kind of Bété roots music combined with Congolese

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...

 rhythms. Djedje's Ziglibithy is highly syncopated dance music, in which the sinuous guitar lines are punctuated with fat horns.

Djedje recorded his first solo album in 1977, calling it Ziboté with producer Gbadamassi Raïmi. Another album, Le Roi du Ziglibithy

Le Roi du Ziglibithy

Le Roi du Ziglibithy is one of Ivoirian singer Ernesto Djédjé's best known albums. It was released in 1977.-Track listing:# "Zadié Bobo" – 4:09# "Ziglibithiens" – 8:49# "Béhido" – 3:16# "Lola" – 4:41# "Gnizako" – 6:49# "Assouna" – 6:35...

, was released on Badmos Records in 1977. He also released albums entitled Aguisse (also on Badmos Records), Tizere and Zouzoup Ale. All of these vinyl LP's are rare today, although Le Roi du Ziglibithy

Le Roi du Ziglibithy

Le Roi du Ziglibithy is one of Ivoirian singer Ernesto Djédjé's best known albums. It was released in 1977.-Track listing:# "Zadié Bobo" – 4:09# "Ziglibithiens" – 8:49# "Béhido" – 3:16# "Lola" – 4:41# "Gnizako" – 6:49# "Assouna" – 6:35...

, which is arguably Djedje's best record, has been reissued on CD by Popular African Music, headquartered in Germany.

Ivoirian president Houphouet Boigny honored him for his contributions to national culture in 1982. Djédjé died suddenly of an untreated ulcer in 1983 at 35, although many claim that he was poisoned.

Discography

• 1977 - Ziboté
• 1977 - Le Roi du Ziglibithy
  Le Roi du Ziglibithy
  Le Roi du Ziglibithy is one of Ivoirian singer Ernesto Djédjé's best known albums. It was released in 1977.-Track listing:# "Zadié Bobo" – 4:09# "Ziglibithiens" – 8:49# "Béhido" – 3:16# "Lola" – 4:41# "Gnizako" – 6:49# "Assouna" – 6:35...
  
  
• Aguisse
• Tizere
• Zouzoup Ale
• 1979 - 79 Golozo
• 2001 - Le Roi du Ziglibithy
  Le Roi du Ziglibithy
  Le Roi du Ziglibithy is one of Ivoirian singer Ernesto Djédjé's best known albums. It was released in 1977.-Track listing:# "Zadié Bobo" – 4:09# "Ziglibithiens" – 8:49# "Béhido" – 3:16# "Lola" – 4:41# "Gnizako" – 6:49# "Assouna" – 6:35...
  
  (Popular African Music, P.A.M.)