Angélique Kidjo
Angélique Kidjo (born on July 14, 1960) is a Grammy Award-winning Beninese … Read Full Bio ↴Angélique Kidjo (born on July 14, 1960) is a Grammy Award-winning Beninese singer, noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos.
Kidjo was born in Ouidah, Benin. Her father is Fon from Ouidah and her mother is Yoruba . She grew up listening to James Brown, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, and Santana.
By the time she was six, Kidjo was performing with her mother's theatre troupe, giving her an early appreciation for traditional music and dance. She started singing in her school band Les Sphinx and found success as a teenager with her adaptation of Miriam Makeba's "Les Trois Z" which played on national radio. She recorded the album Pretty with the Camerounese producer Ekambi Brilliant and her brother Oscar. It featured the songs Ninive, Gbe Agossi and a tribute to the singer Bella Bellow, one of her role models. The success of the album allowed her to tour all over West Africa. Continuing political conflicts in Benin prevented her from being an independent artist in her own country and led her to relocate to Paris in 1982.
While working various day jobs to pay for her tuition, Angelique studied music at the CIM, a reputable Jazz school in Paris where she met and married musician and producer Jean Hebrail with whom she has composed most of her music. She started out as a backup singer in local bands. In 1985, she became the front singer of the known Euro-African jazz/rock band Jasper van't Hof's Pili Pili. Three Pili Pili studio albums followed: Jakko(1987) Be In Two Minds (1988, produced by Marlon Klein) and Hotel Babo (1990). By the end of the 1980s, she had become one of the most popular live performers in Paris and recorded a solo album called Parakou for the Open Jazz Label.
She was then discovered in Paris by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell who signed her in 1991. She recorded four albums for Island until Chris Blackwell's departure from the label. In 2000 she was signed in New York by Columbia Records for which she recorded two albums.
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 been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2002. With UNICEF, she has traveled to many countries in Africa. Reports on her visits can be found on the UNICEF site. Kidjo founded The Batonga Foundation which gives girls a secondary school and higher education so they can take the lead in changing Africa. The foundation is doing this by granting scholarships, building secondary schools, increasing enrollment, improving teaching standards, providing school supplies, supporting mentor programs, exploring alternative education models and advocating for community awareness of the value of education for girls.
She has campaigned for Oxfam at the 2005 Hong Kong WTO meeting, for the their Fair Trade Campaign and travelled with them in North Kenya and at the border of Darfur and Chad with a group of women leaders in 2007 and contributed to the video for the In My Name Campaign with Will I Am from The Black Eyed Peas. She has hosted the Mo Ibrahim Foundation's Prize for Achievement in African Leadership in Alexandria, Egypt on November 26th, 2007 and on November 15th, 2008
Kidjo was born in Ouidah, Benin. Her father is Fon from Ouidah and her mother is Yoruba . She grew up listening to James Brown, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, and Santana.
By the time she was six, Kidjo was performing with her mother's theatre troupe, giving her an early appreciation for traditional music and dance. She started singing in her school band Les Sphinx and found success as a teenager with her adaptation of Miriam Makeba's "Les Trois Z" which played on national radio. She recorded the album Pretty with the Camerounese producer Ekambi Brilliant and her brother Oscar. It featured the songs Ninive, Gbe Agossi and a tribute to the singer Bella Bellow, one of her role models. The success of the album allowed her to tour all over West Africa. Continuing political conflicts in Benin prevented her from being an independent artist in her own country and led her to relocate to Paris in 1982.
While working various day jobs to pay for her tuition, Angelique studied music at the CIM, a reputable Jazz school in Paris where she met and married musician and producer Jean Hebrail with whom she has composed most of her music. She started out as a backup singer in local bands. In 1985, she became the front singer of the known Euro-African jazz/rock band Jasper van't Hof's Pili Pili. Three Pili Pili studio albums followed: Jakko(1987) Be In Two Minds (1988, produced by Marlon Klein) and Hotel Babo (1990). By the end of the 1980s, she had become one of the most popular live performers in Paris and recorded a solo album called Parakou for the Open Jazz Label.
She was then discovered in Paris by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell who signed her in 1991. She recorded four albums for Island until Chris Blackwell's departure from the label. In 2000 she was signed in New York by Columbia Records for which she recorded two albums.
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 been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2002. With UNICEF, she has traveled to many countries in Africa. Reports on her visits can be found on the UNICEF site. Kidjo founded The Batonga Foundation which gives girls a secondary school and higher education so they can take the lead in changing Africa. The foundation is doing this by granting scholarships, building secondary schools, increasing enrollment, improving teaching standards, providing school supplies, supporting mentor programs, exploring alternative education models and advocating for community awareness of the value of education for girls.
She has campaigned for Oxfam at the 2005 Hong Kong WTO meeting, for the their Fair Trade Campaign and travelled with them in North Kenya and at the border of Darfur and Chad with a group of women leaders in 2007 and contributed to the video for the In My Name Campaign with Will I Am from The Black Eyed Peas. She has hosted the Mo Ibrahim Foundation's Prize for Achievement in African Leadership in Alexandria, Egypt on November 26th, 2007 and on November 15th, 2008
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Angélique Kidjo Lyrics
Adje Dada Adje dada, adje dada Adje dada moun yon o lo Wodeka kpoe…
Adouma (Chorus): Minu miwu nugu (ladhi) Miwa miwa nodo (ladhi) (re…
Ae Ae There is a woman in Somalia Scraping for pearls on the…
Afirika Min bi fon do africa gblé lo Min wè na fon…
Agolo (Agolo) agolo, agolo, agolo, agolo Agolo, agolo, agolo, agol…
Agolo (Africa Calling Mix) Chorus: Morio orio Ola djou monké n'lo (3 times) Ola djou mo…
Akwaba Akwaba Adaba Akwaba Adaba Akwaba akwaba akwaba kwaba kwaba …
Arouna Haruna isola lo je oruko wa Oruko ni kaluku wa…
Azan Nan Kpé THE DAY BEGINS …
Babalao Babalao, babalao oo Babalao, babalao oo Babalao, mon wa bèb…
Bahia Aburo, orè ni gbogbowa, ewa ka lolé Aburo, ibi kan ni…
Bala Bala Bala bala, bala bala Bala bala, bala bala Bala djo min djo…
Batonga Mmmmmh.... Mmmmmh.... Ovi yabada dadeh Ovi vanvan nanbaketh…
Battú pertengkaran yang selalu terjadi antara aku dengan dirimu ka…
Bissimilai Tagba djan, tagba djan Bissimilai Bissimilai Bissimilai gui…
Bitchifi Aka flin honton min ton énin an Bokakpon dé ékou gbon…
Black Ivory Soul Wherever you live You'll find no one can take away Whatever …
Blewu Blewu wi iih Blewu wi iih Blewu wi mianda kpélo Blewu wi mia…
Ces Petits Riens Mieux vaut ne penser à rien, que de ne pas…
Conga Habanera Afrika habanero o Afrika habanero wa Afrika habanero o Afrik…
Congoleo Written by: Angélique Kidjo/Jean Hébrail Chorus Congo le o, …
Cucala Cúcala, cúcala, cuca, cúcala, que ella sale Cúcala, cúcala, …
Dje Dje L'Aye Doudoudou ou Doudoudou ou Do dede we dje, ha gbe elo O ho…
Djin Djin There is a woman in Somalia Scraping for pearls on the…
Djovamin Ewo ke va le yia Tote va min non dou Deko kpo…
Ewa Ka Djo Whrrra! (Bridge): Ahoha ahe-wutu-eliliwokia Ewo kia Ewo kia…
Fifa Gbèdo dokoun nou min lé Bo nan vi min bo houn…
Gimme Shelter Oh, a storm is threat'ning My very life today If I don't…
Goddess Of The Sea Waounba waoun Waounba waoun Waounba waoun Waounba waoun Hou…
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) [With Naima] So this is Christmas And what have you done? Another year ov…
Houngbati Humba t′hip-t'hip Humba yop-yop (Repeat 4 times) Bethe memi…
I'll Remember You I've got dreams, dreams to remember I've got dreams, dreams …
Idjé Idjé YOU ALONE FEEL YOUR PAIN …
Iemanja Imanja oo, iemanja oooo Iemanja oooo, iemanja oooo Imanja oo…
Ife Baba wa (Ife) Baba wa (repeat) You can make me out to b…
Itche Koutche Ou yéyé, o yéyé Ou yéyé, o yéyé Oko to fé n'ko Ko…
Iwoya Dave Matthews: You don't have to be old to be wise …
Koro-Koro Awon agba nin goun yan Bè ba koro koro lonan…
La Vida Es Un Carnaval Todo aquel que piense que la vida es desigual Tiene…
La Vie C'est drôle, la vie, comment elle passe C'était pas hier mai…
Lay Lady Lay Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed Lay, lady,…
Le Monde Comme Un Bebe Ah, si tout était doux Si tout était beau Ta main J'aurais m…
Les enfants perdus Ils sont toujour en arrière Quand le vent nous souffle Dan…
Loloye Eé éi yo lolo yé Ea bolo iyo lolo yé Nin odo…
Lon Lon Vadjro Da---a nonong-ye Wawabo nia-eh Sonouke Nononya sokiame oh-oh…
Macumba Macumba cumba Hum Macumba cumba Hum Min bi wa, nou…
Malaika Malaika, nakupenda Malaika. Malaika, nakupenda Malaika. Na…
Move on up Shake, shake, quiver, quiver I'm awoken by a cold shiver Win…
Move On Up (feat. John Legend) Meghan Trainor] I found myself dreaming in silver and gold L…
Move On Up featuring Bono and John Legend Shake, shake, quiver, quiver I'm awoken by a cold shiver Win…
Mutoto Kwanza Mutoto kwanza Mutoto kwanza Mutoto kwanza Mutoto kwanza Mut…
N'Yin Wan Nou We Zanzan, n'fon n'yin wan nou we Gbadounou zan zan n'yin wan…
Naima Naïma, Naïma Houn gba fan vi o Naïma Naïma, Naïma Houn gba f…
Ne Cédez Jamais Non jamais Non jamais Non jamais Ne cédez jamais Et la foule…
Never Know Featuring Cassandra Wilson Egbé afon kpodo avi kpo Do wézoun…
No Worry Yélélé ago ago ago Yélélé ago ago ago Ma sounkoun non, oré …
NYin Wan Nou We Zanzan, n'fon n'yin wan nou we Gbadounou zan zan n'yin wan…
Okan Bale Okan balè o, okan balè o Okan balè o, okan balè…
Olofoofo Ekpanou mon éshinshin m'bowa, oro oto ko shé so o Ekpanou…
Ominira Wherever you live You'll find no one can take away Whatever …
Open Your Eyes Love I get so lost, sometimes Days pass and this emptiness…
Oremi Kowa joko ka soro Ore mi, kowa joko ka soro Kowa joko…
Ou La La C'est drôle, la vie, comment elle passe C'était pas hier mai…
Oulala Oulala oulala Oulala la oulala Oulala oulala Oulala la oulal…
Papa Intro Papa papa papa Papa papa papa Chorus 1 Ae mandjro pap…
Pearls There is a woman in Somalia Scraping for pearls on the…
Refavela Iaiá, kiriê Kiriê, iaiá Iaiá, kiriê Kiriê, iaiá Iaiá, kiriê …
Salala Intro (Peter Gabriel): Eh Eh Heh-eh Eh Eh Eh Heh-eh Eh …
Seyin Djro Enou koko koudo djidjoe Nin amin deka deka Enoukoko koudo dj…
Shango Shango shango Shango wa fe ki yin o Shango shango Shango wa …
Shango Wa Shango shango Shango wa fe ki yin o Shango shango Shango …
Summertime Summertime And the livin' is easy Fish are jumpin' And the c…
The Great Curve Ilé ayé Tin guidi guidi guidi tingui tingui Zo yéli yéli Tin…
The Sound of the Drums I've been away for so long that I wonder If the…
Tombo H'ulanaveh H'ulanavers H'ulanavers kwah-kwah-kwah H'ulanaver…
Toro Mata Toro mata y toro mata Toro mata rumbambero, ay toro mata…
Tourner La Page Il faut tourner la page Changer de paysage Le pied sur une…
Tumba People This is not a film This is my song Now pick up…
Voodoo Child Well, I stand up next to a mountain And I chop…
Voodoo Child (Slight Return) Well I stand up next to a mountain Chop it down…
Voodoo Chile When I stand up next to a mountain Chop it down…
We Are One As you go through life you'll see There is so much…
Wé-Wé Bridge Zanzan, n′fon n'yin wan nou we Gbadounou zan zan n′yi…
Welcome Assé assala malé Eyolo ouidah a assé assala malé kouo…
Wombo Wombo lombo Wombo lombo Wombo lombo Wombo lombo Gbogbo ènyan…
Yaki Yaki Dagbé towé alotowé min Wè dé yégué, yégué, yégué Ma djo gbè…
Yemandja BE CAREFUL, DON'T CAUSE ME GRIEF …
Zelie Zelie eeeeehhhh Ah eeey zelie eh Zelie eh lala eeeeehh, zel…
Kwame Atoapoma Oteanankanduro
on Summertime
Awesome! Haa, I want the lyrics in the language she sang in.