Jahelle Bonee
Singer, musician, author and composer; soul, jazz, blues, hip-hop and traditional Ivorian sounds
Biographie
Jahelle Bonee is a singer, musician, author and composer of Abidjan. She begins singing at the age of 8 in her community choir and learns in self-taught several traditional instruments, including ahoco and djembé. She began her professional career in 2014. Her music merges jazz, soul, blues, hip-hop and traditional sounds. She released a first album, "Befléhmi", in 2018, and then a second, "Meet My Soul", in 2023. The McCord Stewart Museum notes that her work celebrates the strength of women and African cultural heritage, exploring spirituality and interior transformation.
It has occurred in West Africa, Europe and Canada, according to Kaserne Basel.
Distinctions and benchmarks
2018: First album, "Befléhmi" · 2023: Second album, "Meet My Soul" · 2025: winner of the Abidjan Arts and Show Market · 12 June 2026: "Perles des lagunes" show at the Institut français de Côte d'Ivoire, with Ruth Tafébé and Reine Abala, creation on plural female identities · February 2026: International creation residency at the McCord Stewart Museum, Montreal, with artist Anachnid, under the artistic direction of Fredy Massamba, as part of the Afropolitain Nomade Festival
On the Poster — Festivals
- 2026 — Afropolitain Nomade Festival — Montreal: International creation residency and performance with Anachnid, February 14-15, 2026 at the McCord Stewart Museum (J. Armand Bombardier Theatre), Black History Month (Côte d'Ivoire) — See the festival entry