Dj Arafat (R.I.P)
DJ Arafat (sometimes named Yôrôbô, commander Zabra and formerly Sao Tao the Dictator), whose real name is Angel Didier Houon, born on 26 January 1986 in Yopougon (Abidjan), is a singer, composer, producer and musical arranger from Ivory Coast. He is regarded as much as one of the greatest singers of Africa and an ambassador Coupé Décalé. He has considerable influence on the Ivorian musical culture.
DJ Arafat in duet with Debordo Leekunfa releases a new opus accompanying a new dance called the Kpangor. The concept and the singles that follow are becoming successes on the African continent, from Gabon to Burkina Faso and Cameroon. Tubes are produced in a short period of time: “Kpangor”, “Kpangor Confirmation”, “Lebede 2”, “25 Peanut”, “Buddha”. These tubes emerged very quickly and come top of the West African rankings. In the meantime, he’s coming out freestyles that are so successful that they go out every ten minutes in average in night club or maquis spreading it, “Spot 2009” (August 2009), “Le Special Stéphane Sessègnon and Marie-Claude Sessegnon “(summer 2009 in duet with Debordo Leekunfa),” Forbidden to under 30 years “(September 2009).
DJ Arafat is one of the pioneers of the coupé-décalé, he contributes to his popularization first in France and then around the world.
In the beginnings of the Coupé Décalé movement, the DJ working in one of the greatest maquis in Abidjan “the Shanghai” is spotted by the young producer Roland Le Binguiste who takes him to the studio. Thus, he released a discographic work which revealed it to the public thanks to the song “Hommage à Jonathan” in 2003, a part of it was produced at the Treichville Sports Park with the presence of Douk Saga and Mulukuku DJ. At a young age, Didier Houon had many Lebanese friends in Abidjan, who nicknamed him Yasser Arafat, the former leader of Fatah and the Palestine Liberation Organization. He decided to make this nickname his stage name.
Solicited in France thanks to this album, the promoter of shows and director of KD Productions, Désiré Kouadio, organizes a tour for DJ Arafat. He flew for two months in Paris and then returned to Côte d’Ivoire. This stage has left good memories to the DJ, and he sees a great economic opportunity. In 2005, for his second trip to France organized by Désiré Kouadio, he decided to settle in the France capital despite the expiry of his visa. Illegally residing in France for more than two years, he officiates as a disc jockey in an African club and sells pirated CDs. Without paper, he was arrested by the Police and spent a month in the Administrative Detention Center before being repatriated to Côte d’Ivoire.
Meanwhile, he released a second album entitled Femmes in 2005 and an album in collaboration with Meiway in 2006 and a single entitled Abidjan-Paris in duet with Christy-B in 2007.
Back on the Lagune Ébrié, after two and a half years of absence on the Ivorian stages, he signed his return in duet with Debordeaux Leekunfa. The “darling” of the coupé-décalé, in 2008, since in duet with Debordeaux Leekunfa, releases a new opus which promotes a new dance called the Kpangor. The concept and the singles that follow are becoming successes on the African continent, from Gabon to Burkina Faso and Cameroon. Tubes are produced in a short period of time: “Kpangor”, “Kpangor Confirmation”, “Lebede 2”, “25 Peanut”, “Buddha”. These tubes emerged very quickly and come top of the West African rankings. Meanwhile, the freestyles or even the attalakus, which were so successful, were released that after their performances, every ten minutes on average, a musical medium or a maquis spread them, it was “Spot 2009” (August 2009), «le spécial Stéphane Sessègnon et Marie-Claude Sessegnon» (summer 2009 in duet with Debordeaux Leekunfa), «Interdit aux moins de 30 ans» (September 2009), «Retour en clash» (October 2009) “Cadeau de fin d’année “(December 2009). For his scenic performances he hires three famous and talented dancers named Magician, Computer and Baby without bones.
In 2008, he participated in the hit African tonik with Mokobé, Mohamed Lamine and Mory Kante, the song becomes the tube of summer in France. The same year to support the single, he puts on the market “Cadeau du siècle” a mix of contemporary RnB and Coupé Décalé.
Fan of Yorobo, the footballer Samuel Eto’o offers him a watch of 80 000 € and a car of mark BMW in July 2009.
From the summer of 2009 to the present, Arafat DJ was successively nicknamed the Yorobo 5 500 volts, the Apache 8 500 volts, Sao Tao, Yorobo 10 500 volts, Yorobo 12 500 volts, Commander Koné Zabra, Koné Baracuda, Commander Koro Hey Koro He, Commander Por Favor, Bull Killer, Commander Koraman twice, Koraman 2 fois Koraman, Termistocle and finally Caesar (Ave).
In 2015, he won the title of most influential African artist internationally by Forbes Africa and TRACE Africa.
Apart music, Arafat is the father of four children, 3 boys (Mael, Ezekiel, Owen) and 1 daughter (Lachoina).
