photocredit: twitter.comAngelique Kidjo is Africa's Two-time Grammy Awards Vocalist, Long-time UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, founder Batonga Foundation, and mother of one. She was born on July 14, 1960 in Ouidah in Cotonou, Benin, in West Africa, of Beninese Father and Yoruba, Nigerian Mother. She studied music at CIM, a reputable jazz music school in France where she met and married her French husband, Jean Hebrail a French musician and Producer in 1987. They had a daughter together. Their daughter Naima was born in 1993.
Kidjo came from a family of musicians, her mother was a performer in a dance and theatre ensemble and her father was a banjo player. Her music background influenced her love for the stage and performing. Kidjo left Benin in the early 1980s following the instability of the country's political climate which could not allow her music career thrive. She moved to Paris where she lived for a time before moving to New York where she now lives with her husband and their only daughter.
Kidjo started out as a solo singer but could not made much success, during this time, when she felt that she could not make it in the music world, she enrolled in school to study Law, but luck shined on her career in the mid-eighties, when she joined the European jazz-funk-African fusion band Pili with Pili leading the band. After touring extensively with the group for several years, she tried on solo career again and this time, it became a success, and eventually led her to international fame.
Her music style is rooted in Benin, both traditionally and contemporary but it is her love for other genres of music that have led her to international fame. She sings in four languages and has worked with many of world's finest musicians including Joss Stone, Peter Gabriel and Ziggy Marley. Her use of jazz and pop influences in her music have made her accessible to people from all over the globe.
In 2002, UNICEF appointed Angelique Kidjo as their Goodwill Ambassador, and used her voice and influence to reach people worldwide to discuss some of the major issues affecting the people of Africa, like HIV/AIDA, poverty, hunger and conflict and war in places such as Darfur.
She also set up her own Foundation, Batonga Foundation, which mission is to provide fund and support for the education of young girls in Africa.
She is also a critic of Western depictions of Africa, who paints Africa, a continent steeped in violence, victimhood and corruption. She says, "A success story in Africa doesn't interest any media. But they are so eager and hungry for horrible stories from Africa. According to her, it looks like the West is the hyena, feeding on the misery of the African people. And they should be ashamed doing this." -aljazeera.com
From a small country of Benin, to a World recognised Personality, our very own Angelique, a woman that saw herself through school, working various day jobs.
Kidjo's Humanitarian works have garnered her so much accolades, some being, Keep a Child Alive's Award for outstanding Humanitarian Work, shared with Oprah Winfrey, in New York, 2012. Crystal Awards, 2015, for not only being world famous artiste but also her dedication to humanitarian works. This she received alongside two other exceptional Artistes, Japanese architect Shigeru Ban and Italian Opera Singer, Andrea Bocelli.
Kidjo as described by Aljazeera is a symbol of Africa's creativity, energy, and beauty, with unique sense of music, a blend of West Africa's heritage, combined with funk, jazz and Latin music. Her music has also won many awards, two of which are Grammy Awards for 2008 with her hit song 'Djin Djin' and 2015 with 'Eve', to mention but these few. Her achievements are too numerous to mention here.
"Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile." - Albert Einstein.
LESSON: It is not enough to be famous, or to be rich, if the fame or the wealth cannot be employed for the betterment of lives and for good of the society. When you are blessed, be a blessing, it might just be the reason you are blessed.
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