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It鈥檚 25 years since Ivorian band Magic System recorded their monster hit Premier Gaou. The song dominated French charts for weeks, and it has remained a favourite in clubs and parties across Africa and beyond ever since. It has frequently been sampled and remixed. Francis Mercier鈥檚 2023 version has been streamed more than 50 million times on Spotify.

Premier Gaou has transformed the lives of the band members of Magic System, but this single song has also had a much wider impact, thanks to the band鈥檚 commitment to investing in their community.

This programme tells the story of Premier Gaou, and includes the voices of musicians who love it, recorded at the music festival Magic System have established in Abidjan. We also meet A鈥橲alfo, the lead singer of Magic System, accompanying him to one of the several schools he has built, and hear about his passion for education. One of the first things he did with the proceeds of his music was to put himself through university.

This edition is presented by Ata Ahli Ahebla, and was produced by Ata Ahli Ahebla and Catherine Fellows