The Prince Claus Fund is deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Djeneba Koné. The news reached the Fund that on 21 December she was killed in a car accident. Djeneba was the leading lady and the star of ‘BintouWere, a Sahel Opera’. The Prince Claus Fund wishes her family and friends strength to deal with the loss of a very talented young woman.

After Djeneba (Mali) at an early age had lost both her parents, she was raised by her older brother, a night watchman in a private residence. Later she unfortunately had to leave school and she had to find a way to earn her own living. She performed for the first time with a dance group from the neighborhood in Segou, her hometown. During the Cultural Biennale in 2005, she stole everyone's heart and received an ovation from the public, surprised at her precocious talent. The leader of the Regional Dance group of Segou immediately asked her to join his famous travelling company, the pride of the city. This is how her career as a child prodigy once began. The many talents of the young dancer and singer made a great impression on the artistic Team of the Sahel Opera Project and on everyone at the Prince Claus Fund.

With the help of her perfectly pure, intense, light soprano, her interpretation of Bintou Were, reached very high altitudes, much like the boundless aspirations of the people with the ladders from the story of the Sahel Opera. Fate seemed to have brought Djeneba Koné back to her roots. She was a ‘griotte’, a travelling artist in the tradition of the famous Koné family. It is very sad that the world can ‘t enjoy her impressive performances anymore.

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