Angélique Kidjo
12 July 2008 | Maas | 23:15 - 00:30 |
Line-up:
Angélique Kidjo (vocals); Habib Faye (musical director, bass); Joao Mota, Rubens de la Corte (guitar); Harvey Wirht (drums); Ibrahim Diagne (percussion).
About Angélique Kidjo
The West-African singer Angélique Kidjo is one of the most
inspiring and progressive performers in World music. With
incredible passion and drive, she incorporates her great love for
her homeland Benin into her music, even though there is much room
for improvement in her country - she was forced to leave in order
to pursue her musical career which the communist regime had brought
to a standstill. Her music was considered too free and outspoken
in Benin. In 1980 she moved to Paris and now she's been living in
New York for some time. Benin is never far away though. Kidjo
prefers to sing in her native language, Yoruba, as you can hear on
her successful trilogy which she began in 1998 with the album Oremi
on which she blends traditional music from Benin with other African
styles. On Black Ivory Soul the focus is on the ties between her
country and Brazil. And on the third album Oyaya she pays homage
once again to the African Diaspora. Kidjo won her fourth Grammy
Award for her most recent CD Djin Djin, on which she is joined by
numerous well-known artists including Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel
and Carlos Santana.