In a vibrant display of youth culture in Abidjan’s Yopougon-Selmer neighborhood, biama street dance battles are drawing hundreds of spectators and redefining Ivorian pop music. The dances, performed to biama—a fast-paced offshoot of coupé-décalé—showcase a new generation of performers, many under 25, who are embracing and evolving this energetic style.

Biama emerged from Côte d’Ivoire’s cultural melting pot, particularly the working-class district of Yopougon, which has long been a hub for influential urban music trends. The genre is characterized by rapid tempos and acrobatic moves that blend athleticism with playful choreography. Its rise to prominence accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic as social media platforms like TikTok helped spread dance challenges, widening its appeal beyond local communities.

Sauce Graine, a 15-year-old dancer whose stage name references a traditional Ivorian palm nut delicacy, is among the young biamaseurs championing the dance form. “Many people aren’t very familiar with the dance yet, they think it’s just a neighborhood thing,” he said at a recent event. “All we have to do is create the dance so that more people can see it and love it.”

Biama builds on the legacy of coupé-décalé, an urban genre born in Yopougon around the early 2000s. The style was popularized by Douk Saga and his Jet 7 crew, who infused their music with philosophical themes of sagacité—shrewdness against authority—and farotement, the ostentatious display of wealth. The momentum continued through artists like DJ Arafat, who raised coupé-décalé’s energy levels with fast-paced tracks and acrobatic dance routines before his untimely death in 2019.

Today, biama competes for cultural dominance alongside maïmouna, a local hip-hop fusion that incorporates elements of coupé-décalé and rap Ivoire. Both subgenres have sizable followings, but biama is especially popular among younger participants who engage with its playful and physically demanding dance style. Dancer Kalomaman described biama as “a dance for the immature,” highlighting its appeal to children and teenagers.

Female musicians are also making their mark in the biama scene. Kehou Mousso, known as the “queen of coupé-décalé” and boasting over 2.6 million TikTok followers, frequently performs with elaborate costumes and emphasized the improvisational nature of biama choreography.

While some cultural critics dismiss the genre as merely “street music,” its champions remain confident in biama’s growing influence. By blending tradition, contemporary urban rhythms, and digital trends, biama is emerging as a defining feature of Côte d’Ivoire’s evolving musical landscape. As Sauce Graine puts it, “People will love us. They will dance [and] little by little, they will spread the word.”