Biographie d'un artiste reggae depuis ses origines ivoiriennes

His origins

From Gagnoa, a town located in the west central region of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Zoanet Cômes belongs to the Bété ethnic, which means “people living in the forest”. It is said that everyone sing in this tribe; in every occasion, they sing happiness or sadness.
So, ever since he was young, he has been hearing the sounds of his country and the tunes from elsewhere. His mother was an occasional traditional singer.

Like many young Africans, he is impassioned by the national sport, soccer. Zoanet is a good soccer player and played goalkeeper as well as striker in many small clubs. But he still had his hobbies in dance and music. In 1975, he discovered the realities of life in Abidjan and got a job in the Air Afrique company for three years. After that, he went on holiday in France and decided to stay there to continue his studies; where he has been able to fulfill his lifelong dream of going up on the stage of the "Olympia" of Paris, in which he saw many artists play and sing different types of concerts.

His music

Very early, he found in Rastafari a path to defend the cause of his people. While he was studying management and computer science, he kept on playing and listening to music, and saw a lot of reggae, rock, blues and jazz concerts.

In 1983, after his studies, he decided to devote his life to music. He was in touch with groups of “La Place Parisienne” ("Yaya and Thinks", "Gun Smoke", …). He roamed a lot of cellars in paris where he could play. After that he went to the conservatory in order to deepen his musical knowledge, where he recorded an album with some friends. Youtou “L’Enfant Pleure” earned a radiophonic succes in the Ivory Coast.

In Paris, Zoanet worked a lot knowing that there is a chance for those who invest a lot. While he was working on his music, he was also doing small jobs to get enough money to buy himself some quality equipment. He came to know M. Antonio, head of “We want a sure future” ("On veut un futur sûr") on the third TV channel (FR3) which was a contest of young bands.

After his appearance on TV, Zoanet Côme S suggested the announcement of the Burning Spear concert, organized by M. Simon N’Jona, of Sipe Production. Zoanet won the first prize which permitted him to realize a professional clip. He also made the first part of Burning Spear at the Mutualité. Zoanet Côme S seized this opportunity and gave it to his “brothers”. Every year, he organizes the Marathon for Marley, an entire night of Reggae where there are groups from Paris.

In 1989, he recorded a second album. He was known in Africa as well as in France and besides his career, he was doing the promotion of African music. He is behind the first African artist's posters in the Parisian subway ("le metro"). He also helped to enhance the Zairean music, where artists were being exploited as well as not being paid properly.

When he was not playing music, he was announcing concerts and quickly became the best announcer of the Sipe. He also made many good friends in Jamaica. He recorded “Blues de L’Exil” for the Sipe and signed with the "Music Caravelle" (MCA) editions, and was then taken over by the infamous "Universal".

He is back

After some health issues that lasted for a few years, Zoanet Côme S recorded his latest album “Chanter Liberté” which came out in the Ivory Coast first. His music is a subtle mix between the forest rhythms and a fight for the human being's pride and dignity on earth.