Koné

Koné is a handpan artist from Leuven, Belgium. His path into music began early, when he started playing a ceramic darbuka his parents brought back from Tunisia at the age of six. For many years, Koné was guided by Belgian jazz percussionist Johan De Baedts, who introduced him to rhythms and musical traditions from across the globe. After seeing a video of a magical-sounding metal “turtle” at the age of sixteen, he couldn’t get it out of his head. A few years later, after acquiring his first handpan, his focus gradually shifted towards this new and largely undiscovered instrument. Rather than limiting it to a single genre, Koné explores how the handpan can move through jazz, classical music and electronic music. Collaboration plays a central role in his research: working with different artists allows him to push the boundaries of what the instrument can do. Koné’s work has been recognised on major Belgian stages. He was selected by Studio Brussel to present his handpan at Pukkelpop 2024, where he shared the stage with artists such as Eefje de Visser. Shortly after, he was invited by Radio 2 to open the Sportpaleis for Clouseau’s 40th anniversary. Following the music has brought him also to international stages across the UK, Finland, Norway, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Denmark, and beyond. Within Koné Motion, Koné works with bio-sonification, using plants as musical collaborators: translating natural processes into sound and integrating them into his compositions.