Ivory Coast is mourning the passing of one of its iconic singers, Thérèse Allah, better known as Allah Thérèse.
The singer known for her unique style of music died at the Djekanou General Hospital after a short illness at age 70.
Following her death, President Alassane Ouattara, Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, and the Ivorian arts fraternity thronged social media to share their condolences.
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A revered music pioneer of traditional Ivorian music, she was made a Knight of the Ivorian Order of Merit in 2014. Her signature hairstyle, “Akôrou Koffié”, meaning “the wife of the spider” in Baoule) made her a known figure in Francophone Africa.
C’est avec une grande tristesse que j’ai appris le décès de notre chère Allah Thérèse, icône de la musique traditionnelle ivoirienne. La Côte d’Ivoire vient de perdre une grande Dame, une artiste admirée de tous, qui aura marqué de nombreuses générations d’Ivoiriens. pic.twitter.com/TgbQoHOgyz
— Alassane Ouattara (@AOuattara_PRCI) January 20, 2020
“It is with great sadness that I learned of the death of our dear Allah Thérèse, icon of traditional Ivorian music. Ivory Coast has just lost a great Lady, an artist admired by all, who will have marked many generations of Ivorians,” the president wrote in a social media post.
“I offer my sincere condolences to the family of our dear Allah Thérèse, to his relatives, as well as to the entire Ivorian Nation,” he added in another post.
C’est avec une grande tristesse que j’ai appris le décès de l’immense icône de la culture baoulé, Allah Thérèse.
Au nom de tout le Gouvernement ivoirien et en mon nom propre, j’adresse mes sincères condoléances à sa famille.
Puisse son âme reposer en paix. pic.twitter.com/Km0rwNEZHH
— Amadou Gon Coulibaly (@AmadouGon) January 20, 2020
Thérèse Allah formed a musical duet with her husband who died of natural causes on May 20, 2018. His death caused her to retire from music stating: “I can not go on anymore, we make a team, we make a pair, without him I can not continue to play”.
No official communication has been made with respect to funeral arrangements.
