Comparative aesthetics through an Ivoirian lens : sociopolitical engagement in the selected novels of Ahmadou Kourouma, the music of Tiken Jah Fakoly and the films of Philippe Lacôte
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This thesis uses a comparative aesthetic approach to demonstrate how various forms of art become a potent mode of socio-political engagement within the Ivoirian context. We will focus on two novels by Ahmadou Kourouma, the music of Tiken Jah Fakoly, and two films of Philippe Lacôte to explore how novelists, filmmakers and singers use their art to motivate social change. Adapting an interdisciplinary approach, this study analyzes how these three prominent Ivoirian artists employ their distinct artistic media--literature, music, and cinema--to confront and critically engage with the enduring legacies of colonialism, postcolonial disillusionment, and socio-political upheaval in Côte d'Ivoire and the broader African continent. In particular, this thesis closely analyzes Kourouma's novels, Allah n'est pas obligé and Les Soleils des Indépendances, highlighting themes of moral decay, symbolic infertility, and the unfulfilled promises of independence. The thesis also explores Fakoly's politically charged music, especially through a critical reading of songs like Quitte le pouvoir and Ça va faire mal, in order to identify how his lyrics serve as both an incisive critique of systemic oppression and an empowering call for Pan-African unity and change. Additionally, Lacôte's films, Run and Night of the Kings, are examined as cinematic interrogations of violence, historical memory, and national identity that use allegory and visual storytelling to expose political crises and advocate social reflection. Ultimately, this study asserts that literature, music, and film not only reflect societal challenges but also actively contribute to shaping socio-political consciousness, reaffirming the transformative potential of art as a means of collective healing and social change.
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M.A.