Ivorian zouglou loses one of its icons. Valérie, member of the Espoir 2000 group, died this Saturday, October 12, 2024, after years of fighting leukemia. A disappearance which mourns the world of Ivorian showbiz and leaves his accomplice, Pat Sacko, alone.
The curtain has just fallen on one of the most striking voices of zouglou. Théa Dogbo Valérie, known as Valérie, died this Saturday, October 12, 2024, overcome by leukemia that he had been fighting since 2017.
This founding member of the famous Zouglou group Espoir 2000 leaves a huge void in the hearts of fans and his lifelong partner, Pat Sacko. Together, they formed an incomparable duo, bringing a unique touch to zouglou with texts that spoke to everyone, juggling humor and social reality.
A career marked by social satire
Created in 1997, Espoir 2000 quickly won hearts with songs that directly addressed social issues, particularly the behavior of young people. The original trio composed of Pat Sacko, Shura, and Valérie marked a generation with powerful songs. When Shura left the group in the early 2000s to settle in France, the remaining duo continued to carry the zouglou torch, without ever losing their bite.
A departure in full preparation
Since 2017, Valérie’s illness had slowed down the group’s ambitions. However, this did not quench their passion. Despite leukemia, they announced the release of a new album, Whiteboardscheduled for November 9, 2024.
Alas, Valérie left, leaving Pat Sacko to pursue alone this musical adventure which looked promising. A disappearance which mourns an entire generation of fans and a music industry which loses one of its most striking voices.
Jonas Kouassi
Keywords: Valérie from the Espoir 2000 group
