Two Ivorian archivists are documenting bygone eras in music and pop culture for younger African generations
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hortly after it was launched in 2020, the Instagram-based project Archives Ivoire received a major boost when the French-Malian superstar Aya Nakamura reshared a meme it had made from the series Nafi, one of Francophone Africa’s most beloved TV shows, to her millions of followers.
In the years since, Archives Ivoire, which documents the female aesthetic in Ivorian pop culture, has amassed 85,000 followers, started hosting cinema club sessions in the Ivorian city of Abidjan and the neighbouring town of Grand-Bassam, and launched a successful sideline in merchandise.
Much of the archive is dedicated to the 2000’s Y2K female aesthetic of low-rise boot-cut jeans with chain belts, which was popularised in parts of Africa by Nollywood actors inspired by pop stars such as Destiny’s Child and Christina Aguilera. Ivorian stars also rocked the style and built a cult following in Francophone Africa.
