If it is true that Koulaté Koulaté Denis alias Petit Denis, Denko or Oh Pah remains an undisputed master of the Zouglou scene, it is also true that he is a great fan of “weed”. He is so addicted to drugs that he spends his nights in smoking rooms, forgetting his days and hours of performance to the great dismay of his fans. Several times, the artist was caught in the smoking rooms or in possession of drugs. This has led to several stays in the House of Arrest and Correction of Abidjan (Maca).

Already in 2009, Denko benefited from a detoxification treatment in Perugia, Italy, thanks to the support of the former leader of the patriotic galaxy Blé Goudé. However, this does not detract from the talent of the artist from Gbatanikro, whose art is recognised by all. He raises crowds with his talent. His songs stand the test of time. The magazine Star Magasine sums up the artist’s life best. “He really had a bright future ahead of him and he was the envy of other singers, zouglou makers, like him. He had everything at his disposal. His beautiful voice, a life of luxury, a ready-made career…. He lost everything, and even his name, which no longer belongs to him, evokes nostalgia and the memory of his greatness.

Greatness, glory and decline of Petit Denis, this singer who has always lived in illusion. It is difficult to know who to talk about Petit Denis. An artist that nobody seems to know or understand. An unpredictable man who has maintained his legend through his antics, his outbursts and his addiction to drugs. From his position as a zouglou star, the man ended up going down all the steps of the staircase that leads to decay,” the newspaper reported. A few months ago, Denco was very thin and finally returned to France, and the least we can say is that he now looks great. The Zouglou artist, who recently confessed to having ended his relationship with drugs, is increasingly radiant in his various appearances on the web.

Issa Sanogo, from hero to zero

Issa Sanogo, a young artist, author of the famous song ”Gbangban acte 1, 2 et 3” who started his musical career at a very young age in the 80s. He died in the afternoon of Sunday 27 October 2013 in the street of Treichville, then affected by madness. Propelled at the age of 12 in the spotlight, alongside Ernesto Djedjé, the father of Ziglibity, Issa Sanogo, at the end of his career was a shadow of his former self.

Fame, misery, drugs and prison… That’s how his life was summed up. Addicted to drugs and other substances for several years, this young talented artist had been revealed to the general public through television and the programme ”première chance” of the late Roger Fulgence Kassy (Rfk) in the 1980s. He was admitted to the psychiatric hospital in Bingerville after several stays at the Maca, just like Petit Denis.

Drugs got the better of him at the end of his career, degrading his health. Emaciated and aged, living from begging, it was common to meet him at certain crossroads in Abidjan and in the alleys of Treichville. Was he also a victim of the film “Ablakon” in which he played? The artist himself acknowledged this in one of his interviews with the press. “Indeed, this film has had an impact on my career as an artist and my life as a man. Because all the scenes in the film came true. I experienced drugs, delinquency in the street, on the benches. All the people in the film are dead. I am the only survivor”, he confessed. He will not have time to see his latest work “Dôrôdaga” on the record market. A six-track album of reggae, manding and coupé-décalé sounds, in which the artist condemned (!?) the consumption of drugs and alcohol. It was a sad end for a talented artist who left at the age of 44 in the belly of the night in an unfinished symphony.