Traditional music
Each of the more than sixty ethnic groups of Côte d'Ivoire have their own folk music traditions, most showing strong vocal polyphony (a common characteristic of African music), especially the Baoulé. Talking drums are also common, especially among the Appollo, who are also known for their abissa purification dance, part of the popular Zoblazo dance music of Meiway. Polyrhythm, another African characteristic, is found throughout Côte d'Ivoire and is especially common in the southwest.

Popular Music
Gbégbé, a Bété rhythm, has been a part of popular music since Côte d'Ivoire's independence, popularized by Soeurs Comöé and later, Frères Djatys and Sery Simplice (http://www.serysimplice.com).

Ivorian artists in World styles
The most popular styles in Côte d'Ivoire are imported reggae from Jamaica and hip hop from the United States; the country has produced notable musicians of both genres, especially Alpha Blondy whose brand of Afro-reggae became a national hit following his appearance on the TV show First chance in 1983. Tiken Jah Fakoly is another popular Ivorian reggae musician, who has been living in exile due to his politically outspoken lyrics.

The Baoulé, the Senoufo and the Dan peoples are skilled at carving wood and each culture produces wooden masks in wide variety. The Côte d'Ivorian peoples use masks to represent animals in caricature to depict deities, or to represent the souls of the departed.

As the masks are held to be of great spiritual power, it is considered a taboo for anyone other than specially trained persons or chosen ones to wear or possess certain masks. These ceremonial masks each are thought to have a soul, or life force, and wearing these masks is thought to transform the wearer into the entity the mask represents.

Côte d'Ivoire also has modern painters and illustrators. Gilbert G. Groud criticizes the ancient beliefs in black magic, as held with the spiritual masks mentioned above, in his illustrated book Magie Noire.