Angélique Kidjo

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Angélique Kidjo (Born July 14, 1960) is a Grammy nominated Beninese-French singer songwriter, noted for her diverese musical influences and creative music videos.

Kidjo was born in Ouidah, Benin on July 14, 1960. By the time she was six Kidjo was performing with her mother's theatre troupe, giving her an early appreciation for music and dance. Continuing political conflicts in Benin lead Kidjo to relocate to Paris around 1980. She started out as a backup singer in local bands, before establishing her own band, and by the end of the 1980s she had become one of the most popular live performers in Paris. She is married to muscician and producer Jean Hebral.

Kidjo is fluent in English, Fon, French, and Yoruba and sings in all four languages and also her own personal language which includes words that serve as songtitles such as Batonga and Malaika. She often utilizes Benin's traditional Zilin vocal technique and jazz vocalese.

Her musical influences include the Afropop, Caribbean zouk, Congolese rumba, Jazz, Gospel, and Latin styles; as well as her childhood idols Bella Bellow, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Miriam Makeba and Carlos Santana. She has made her own rendetions of George Gershwin's Summertime and Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child and has collaborated with the likes of Kelly Price, Branford Marsalis, Robbie Nevil, Carlos Santana, and Cassandra Wilson. Kidjo's hits include the songs Agolo, Aye, and Batonga.

Discography

Pretty *African release only
Parakou (1990)
Logozo (1991)
Aye (1994)
Wombo Lombo (1996)
Fifa (1996)
Keep On Moving: The Best Of Angelique Kidjo (2001)
Black Ivory Soul (2002)
Oyaya! (2004)

Kidjo recorded a song on the soundtrack of the Jim Carrey movie Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.

Awards

Octave RFI (1992)
Prix Afrique en Creation (1992)
Danish Music Awards: Best Female Singer (1995)
Kora Music Awards: Best African Female artist (1997)
Mobo Awards (2002)

Grammy nominations include the Best Music Video of 1995 and Best World Music Album in 1999 and 2003

See also: Bella Bellow, Salif Keita, Miriam Makeba, Baaba Maal

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