Sery Simplice Today

 Sery Simplice was born in Oume, Ivory Coast, and grew up in Ziplignan, Department of Ouragahio.  When he was fourteen years old, he realized his gift as an artist.  As he was growing up, he sang with his friends, and one day his aunt learned he could sing.  She was very pleasantly surprised to learn that he could sing after having followed him one day as he was on his way to sing with his friends.  She hid herself around the corner of a building to listen to him, to see if what the people had been telling her about him was true, that he could really sing well.  After she heard him, she was convinced that he could indeed sing very well.  Immediately after hearing him, she told him that she was very proud of him and that she supported him in his decision to develop a music career in singing.  Shortly after, he constructed his own guitar and taught himself how to play and sing with it.  Although the guitar only had three strings, he sang all his songs with it. 

 In 1960, before his songs became remarkably popular, Sery Simplice and his younger brother, Yoro Otis, sang for their family.  However, after fifteen years old, Sery Simplice started his own band in Oume.  Without a name for the band, people invited him and his group everywhere in Oume to sing. 

 Soon afterwards, Dje Aanatole formed his group, Sehi Jazz.  As Dje Aanatole observed in Oume that Sery Simplice and his brother Otis were the only ones who could sing well with a hot rhythm, Dje Aanatole hired them as singers to play in his band.  They sang Amedee Pierre’s songs.  After leaving Sehi Jazz to go home each day, Sery Simplice and his brother Otis continued with their own group and practiced every night. 

 Later in 1968, Sery Simplice and Otis left Oume to live in Abidjan.  There they continued their group.  Soon after, they began to play live every Saturday.  From that day on to 1972, they played on national television, RTI-Radio Television Ivorian, in Abidjan.  One day, Clementine Tikida, a television journalist, invited Sery Simplice and his group to play at RTI.  While there, she recommended to Sery Simplice to name his group The Djatys Brothers.  Sery Simplice accepted and thanked her.  The name was a good one, he thought.  One year later, however, The Djatys Brothers broke up, and in 1974, Sery Simplice went to sing with Amedee Pierre.  In 1978, he left Amedee Pierre to restart his group, The Djatys Brothers. Moussa Konaté joined the group and played the bass from 1978-1979. Mr. Moussa Konaté now resides in Denver, Colorado. The Djatys Brothers, the band lasted for many years.

 In 1991, Sery Simplice traveled to Senegal to represent the Ivory Coast in Afrique Etoile, a competition where each African country sent its best musical group to compete. 

 In 1994, he journeyed to the United States of America, where he now permanently resides and continues to perform.  He has performed in New York; New Jersey; Atlanta, Georgia; and Silver Spring, Maryland, as well as Paris, France, where he has returned each year since 1983 to perform via invitation.

 In 1998, Sery Simplice performed at the Smithsonian, the National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C. In July 2010, Sery Simplice performed in Chicago, Illinois. As well, in August 2010, Sery performed in New York City, New York and Downtown Silver Spring, Maryland in celebration of the anniversary of Ivory Coast’s Independence Day.

 Sery Simplice has based his music on the traditional dance and beat of his culture, the Ivorian culture, precisely that of the Beté people in Central and West Ivory Coast.  Therefore, today when he sings, it compels the elderly of these regions to remember their past.  Sery Simplice has created his special unique rhythmic style by instructing his musicians how to play the leader, accompany, and base guitars, drum sets, and modern instruments (e.g., saxophones and keyboards).  Thus, he has transposed the traditional music of his region into modern or world music.  As his musicians play the tam tams and traditional horns, they harmoniously sing together.  Their melodies are beautiful.  As well, when his tam tams resonate, they send messages.  In addition, many Ivorian artists (before becoming big artists) have sung with Sery Simplice’s group: Houon Pierre, Dickael Liade, Bony Castro, Gozan Claver, Yoro Otis, Mimi Bass, Koudou Zebless, Dodo Lather, Kane Sonde.  As well, Queen Pelagie (since she was a child) followed Sery Simplice’s band everywhere in Abidjan to observe and learn from him.  Later, before becoming popular, she fashioned many of her songs after Sery Simplice’s rhythm.  Rosy, Sery Simplice’s dancer, also created her CD based on Sery Simplice’s music.

Today, Sery Simplice, in continuing his career as an artist, plans to revamp his old albums as well as create new ones. As well, soon he plans to celebrate his career in music by performing live in concert in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Please stay tune for a concert schedule in the News section of this website in the coming months.

Today, in the Ivory Coast, many young people understand the importance of modernizing traditional African music in order for their musical careers to be long and prosperous. Long live Africa for its so many diverse cultures, and may God bless Africa.