Following in the footsteps of her idol, South African Miriam Makeba, Angélique
Kidjo is the latest star to explode out of Africa. She was born in 1960 in Ouidah,
a small harbor town on the coast of Benin (then known as Dahomey).
Kidjo was in contact with a wide variety of cultures and musical traditions
from an early age; she began singing and dancing with her mother's theater troupe
around the age of six. Her brothers introduced her to R&B music and taught
her to sing the latest African-American soul songs.
Her first big break arrived while a teen, in 1979, when she performed one of
her songs on a local radio station. As a result of appearing on the show, Kidjo
met famous Cameroonian singer and producer Ekambi Brillant who assisted in recording
her debut album "Pretty," which hit record stores in 1980. The album
was a major success in Africa.
Following the album, Kidjo was convinced to launch her career in France. She
struggled to make a living at first but it was not long before, inspired by
Paris' thriving Afro-Caribbean music scene, she established herself as a major
force to be reckoned with.
In 1984 she joined German group Pili Pili as their lead singer; though in two
years she decided to leave the group and branch out on her own. She released
her first solo album, "Parakou," named after a town in central Benin.
By 1991, her second album "Logozo" dropped, engineered by a new label,
New
York City-based Island Records.
Angélique's third solo album, "Aye," was recorded in Minneapolis,
in Prince's Paisley Park Studio. It was mixed by The Artist's personal producer
David Z and Will Mowat (who produced British group Soul II Soul).
In 1995 the title track from her next album, "Fifa," was featured
on the soundtrack of the comedy movie "Ace Ventura," starring comedian
Jim Carrey.
Three years later, Kidjo made a pilgrimage to New
York to record a brand new album entitled "Oremi." She wrote
most of the twelve tracks on the album, which was largely inspired by jazz and
R&B, containing a cover version of Jimi Hendrix's legendary hit "Voodoo
Child."
Released in April 2002, Kidjo's next offering, "Black Ivory Soul,"
displayed strong Brazilian vibes. The album was recorded between studios
in New
York and Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.
In the spring of 2004, the third installment of her musical trilogy was released
in "Oyaya!" The upbeat album contained some reflective songs about
issues such as religion and AIDS.
This year saw the release of Kidjo's latest album, "Djin Djin." The
album was named for the sound that an African bell makes, that greets rural
villagers every day.
With her fun-loving personality, her on-stage charisma and her totally unique
voice, Kidjo is one of the best-known international artists. She has now become
almost as famous as her childhood idols, Miriam Makeba and Aretha Franklin.
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