Angelique Kidjo African singer Date of Birth: 14.07.1960 Country: Benin

1. Biography of Angelique Kidjo

2. Standing at a modest height, Angelique Kidjo is a strong and agile performer on stage, showcasing herself as an exceptional dancer. She can be described as an African artist with a postmodern style, effortlessly connecting with her audience. This connection is even evident when listening to her albums, as she says, "Even when I sing alone in the studio, I feel like the audience is right there with me."

   Early Life and Influences

3. Her mother, a choreographer and theater director, had a profound influence on Angelique Kidjo during her childhood. In her youth, she listened not only to traditional music but also absorbed the influence of salsa, Zairian rumba, Cameroonian makossa, soul music, gospel, and even Arabic and Indian music. Her brother, a guitarist, introduced her to songs by Carlos Santana, which they both remembered well.

4. Angelique Kidjo was a fan of Miriam Makeba, and several songs by this South African singer, including the ballad "Malaika" in Swahili, were part of her repertoire. Perhaps Angelique Kidjo inherited the fighting spirit of the Amazons, the warrior women of the ancient Kingdom of Dahomey, from which some of her ancestors originated. This same spirit made her fiercely independent and uncompromising in her principles.

   Musical Journey and Success

5. "Some call it Afrofunk, they can call it whatever they want, but classifying my music within one style is really difficult. Even when I use my native folk music, I'm not trying to recreate a specific style, I simply blend everything together," says Angelique Kidjo. During her time in Paris, she attended a jazz school, which helped her develop a more agile voice, a crucial aspect for someone whose native language, Fon, is characterized by tonality and soft vibrational musicality.

Biography of Angelique Kidjo

Angelique Kidjo is a Beninese singer and composer known for her immense charm, charisma, and artistic power. Her music is a powerful blend of traditional rhythms from her homeland of Benin with styles such as reggae, samba, funk, gospel, zouk, and many others. This unique fusion of genres has created a new rhythm that sets Angelique Kidjo apart from any other artist. With her sensual voice, dynamism, and vocal abilities, she has earned a place among the most renowned female vocalists in the world, such as Miriam Makeba, Aretha Franklin, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Standing at a modest height, Angelique Kidjo is a strong and agile performer on stage, showcasing herself as an exceptional dancer. She can be described as an African artist with a postmodern style, effortlessly connecting with her audience. This connection is even evident when listening to her albums, as she says, "Even when I sing alone in the studio, I feel like the audience is right there with me."

Early Life and Influences

Angelique Kidjo was born and raised in the city of Cotonou, but grew up in the small coastal town of Ouidah in Benin, which is a melting pot of several cultures. The primary language in Benin is Fon, and it is in this language that Angelique Kidjo performs most of her songs. She is also fluent in French and English.

Her mother, a choreographer and theater director, had a profound influence on Angelique Kidjo during her childhood. In her youth, she listened not only to traditional music but also absorbed the influence of salsa, Zairian rumba, Cameroonian makossa, soul music, gospel, and even Arabic and Indian music. Her brother, a guitarist, introduced her to songs by Carlos Santana, which they both remembered well.

In her teenage years, Angelique Kidjo began touring Benin, performing at local festivals and on the radio. She was one of the few girls who performed on stage, as the Beninese society had prejudices against women who tried to earn a living through singing. "It was tough, I really had to fight," she recalls.

Angelique Kidjo was a fan of Miriam Makeba, and several songs by this South African singer, including the ballad "Malaika" in Swahili, were part of her repertoire. Perhaps Angelique Kidjo inherited the fighting spirit of the Amazons, the warrior women of the ancient Kingdom of Dahomey, from which some of her ancestors originated. This same spirit made her fiercely independent and uncompromising in her principles.

Musical Journey and Success

In 1983, Angelique Kidjo traveled to Paris, where she discovered a tremendous cultural mix. Many famous African artists, such as Salif Keita and Manu Dibango, had either lived or recorded in Paris. African musicians in Paris were exposed to the influences of Caribbean, French, and American music, creating an explosive mix of rhythms from different corners of the world. This environment resonated with Angelique Kidjo's musical experiments and provided the perfect conditions for her to develop her own style.

"Some call it Afrofunk, they can call it whatever they want, but classifying my music within one style is really difficult. Even when I use my native folk music, I'm not trying to recreate a specific style, I simply blend everything together," says Angelique Kidjo. During her time in Paris, she attended a jazz school, which helped her develop a more agile voice, a crucial aspect for someone whose native language, Fon, is characterized by tonality and soft vibrational musicality.

Angelique Kidjo became a member of the Dutch jazz group Pili Pili and recorded two albums with them. In 1987, she participated in the Montreux Jazz Festival in France. It was there that she met French composer Jean Hebrail, who later became her husband. They collaborated on four albums together, with Kidjo stating, "We are a great team. He has the patience to develop ideas on the computer, while I need to act quickly, or I'll forget any idea I have."

In 2001, Angelique Kidjo embarked on a new album, exploring the connections between the music of Benin and the Brazilian state of Bahia. She traveled to Brazil and wrote songs collaboratively with Carlinhos Brown and Vinicius Cantuaria. She also covered a song by Gilberto Gil, written during his trip to Benin. The album featured contributions from Ahmir Thompson of The Roots and Romero Lumbambo, a skilled Brazilian guitarist, among other musicians from Africa and Bahia. The concept of this album was based on Angelique Kidjo's search for truth and the idea of uniting people through music.