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Pepite
Jhonel
Self-producer, author, composer, interpreter
Niger
« In a vigorous and cadenced rhythm, Jhonel mahis his remarks on society. He is not satisfied with a banal denunciation, Jhonel tries to highlight the links between dominator and resigned victim, between corruptor and corrupted, which gives another tonality to his indignation. » By Jean-Dominique Pénel
Styles:
Poetry
Slam, spoken-word
Discover:
Environment
Manager
Laetitia Normand - Le Rêve Africain
Displayed on 15/01/2026
Displayed on 15/01/2026
Producer
Goni organisation
Publisher, galerist owner
Booking agency
Looking for a Slam booking agency
Displayed on 15/01/2026
Displayed on 15/01/2026
Agent
Displayed on 15/01/2026
Displayed on 15/01/2026
Biography
Jhonel, an ancient breath with a fresh voice, follows in the footsteps of modern griots to sketch the contours of an awakening world.
Based in Niamey, Jhonel is a powerful orator, storyteller, poet and actor, and describes himself as ‘the son of the spoken word’. A storyteller of hope, a poet of the margins, he weaves ancestral orality with the urgencies of the present. Each of his verses builds bridges between the memory of peoples and the clamour of struggles. From Niger to the USA, via Burkina Faso, France, Italy, Canada, Mali, Chad and Cameroon, his voice lifts the silences, chants the silent sorrows and revives the standing dreams. With his show ‘Ils ne sont que des pauvres’ (They are only poor people), Jhonel declaims injustice with cutting tenderness, transforming indignation into light. His works - NON, Bus de la révolution, 1000 poèmes - are stylish cries, manifestos chanted from the heart.
A forerunner of slam in French-speaking Africa, Jhonel has been shaping a free scene since 2012 with the FISH-GONI festival, breathing new life into forgotten poetic voices.
Supported by Le Rêve Africain, he is shining a light on the future, true to the promise of an art that uplifts, unites and resists.
Discography / Filmography / Collection
DISCOGRAPHY
2025 BUS DE LA REVOLUTION (SINGLE)
2024 MR COSTARD (SINGLE)
2023 ALKEBULAN (SINGLE)
2022 MA GRAND-MERE (SINGLE)
2021 ILS NE SONT QUE DES PAUVRES (ALBUM)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
PUBLISHED BY L'HARMATTAN
2018 : NIAMEY, COUR COMMUNE
2014 : PARCE QUE, DE TOUTE FAÇON, ILS NE SONT QUE DES PAUVRES
The press
May 2021 : Afrique Magazine
‘Armed with his eloquent phrasing and powerful images...’ Interviewed by Astrid Krivian
March 2021: Télé Sud
‘Fate has decided that the Imam's son will say out loud what we all think in silence. His uncle, John, predicted that he would speak as high as the wings of a bird allow him to fly. Like this bird, Jhonel flies high to scrutinise our daily lives and then presents them to us through frank and sincere texts. Tonight, the author of ‘Ils ne sont que des pauvres’, ‘1000 Poèmes’ and winner of Le Rêve Africain's ‘Pépite d'or’, offers us his vision of our society. Interviewed by Serge Fattoh
March 2021: Music in Africa
‘Talented orator, Nigerian slammer and poet Jhonel captivates not only with his rhetoric, but also with the relevance of the themes he tackles.’ by Music in Africa
Notable gigs
2025 : TFrancophonie Tour (Italia) / Chad / Mali / Burkina Faso...
2019 : Musée du Quai Branly (France)
2017 : Bronx 10451 / New-York City / Université of Baltimore (USA)
2016 : Le petit duc Aix en Provence / Espace Mandela - Gennevilliers / Halle des Douves / Université de Bordeaux - Pessac / Maison des Arts et Loisirs – Laon / Festival Avignon off / Nouveau Ring Avignon / Festival Fish Goni - Niamey Niger / Cabarets Wall-King - Sherbrooke- (Québec)
Formula(s)
Formula(s)
