Biama, a musical and choreographic genre born roughly five years ago in Yopougon, the poorest and most lively district of Abidjan, has spread across Ivory Coast and beyond through social media.
The style is faster than coupé-décalé, the established Ivorian dance music with which it shares many codes, but it differs in setting and accessibility.
While coupé-décalé is associated with trendy nightclubs, Biama is danced in streets and on platforms such as TikTok, making it immediately available to a young, working-class audience.
Leading Biama performers, known as biamasseurs, have accumulated millions of views on TikTok despite operating without major record label support.
Their online reach has translated into live performance tours across Europe and Africa, extending the genre's footprint well beyond its neighborhood origins.
France 24 correspondent Julia Guggenheim reported on the phenomenon, noting how the dance moves from public spaces to phone screens and then to concert stages.
The genre's growth illustrates how digital distribution can bypass traditional industry gatekeepers for cultural forms rooted in specific communities.
Researchers and cultural observers continue to track whether Biama's momentum will sustain as it moves further from its local context.
Ivory Coast's Biama boom: TikTok trend gets the nation's youth dancing
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