Biography
Ivorian duo Tour 2 Garde fuse Afro-pop, hip-hop, and coupé-décalé into an intensely rhythmic, high-energy style. Since emerging in the early 2000s, the pair has built a broad following through kinetic, widely circulated videos, among them the 2014 release “Makassa” and the 2016 track “Sheguey.” Those songs, together with further hit collaborations involving Aya Nakamura and Abou Debeing, were later gathered on the 28-track full-length Victory, issued in 2019.
Koné Diarra Adama, known as Jimmy James, and Arthur Koya, performing as Thura, established Tour 2 Garde in Abidjan during the early 2000s. Their first album, Dieu seul le sait (God Only Knows), surfaced in 2004, with Terre promise (Promised Land) arriving two years later. Moving away from an initial rap foundation, the duo shifted toward more dance-oriented material that embraced zouk, notably on the 2013 single “Je veux m’en aller” featuring Josey, alongside growing emphasis on coupé-décalé. The 2014 single “Makassa,” whose video showcased a dance introduced by the pair, achieved widespread success and was succeeded by comparable clips such as “Tiguidi (Makassa 2.0)” and “Pistolet Moutouba.” In 2015, Tour 2 Garde earned a nomination for best French-speaking artist at the MTV Africa Music Awards.
Further singles and partnerships sustained their momentum. Following the millions of views accrued by “Sheguey” in 2016, the duo joined French-Ivorian rapper Abou Debeing for the 2017 release “Wari.” The tracks “Comme d’habitude” with Still Fresh, “Comme ci comme ça” with French-Malian pop star Aya Nakamura, and “Nguele” all appeared in 2018. Victory, the comprehensive 2019 album containing most of their decade-spanning singles, completed this phase of their output.
Koné Diarra Adama, known as Jimmy James, and Arthur Koya, performing as Thura, established Tour 2 Garde in Abidjan during the early 2000s. Their first album, Dieu seul le sait (God Only Knows), surfaced in 2004, with Terre promise (Promised Land) arriving two years later. Moving away from an initial rap foundation, the duo shifted toward more dance-oriented material that embraced zouk, notably on the 2013 single “Je veux m’en aller” featuring Josey, alongside growing emphasis on coupé-décalé. The 2014 single “Makassa,” whose video showcased a dance introduced by the pair, achieved widespread success and was succeeded by comparable clips such as “Tiguidi (Makassa 2.0)” and “Pistolet Moutouba.” In 2015, Tour 2 Garde earned a nomination for best French-speaking artist at the MTV Africa Music Awards.
Further singles and partnerships sustained their momentum. Following the millions of views accrued by “Sheguey” in 2016, the duo joined French-Ivorian rapper Abou Debeing for the 2017 release “Wari.” The tracks “Comme d’habitude” with Still Fresh, “Comme ci comme ça” with French-Malian pop star Aya Nakamura, and “Nguele” all appeared in 2018. Victory, the comprehensive 2019 album containing most of their decade-spanning singles, completed this phase of their output.
Albums
Singles
