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
I've Got Dreams to Remember
Angélique Kidjo Lyrics
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I've got dreams, dreams to remember
Honey, I saw you there last night
Another man's arms holding you tight
Nobody knows what I feel inside
All I know, I walked away and cried
Dreams to remember
Listen to me
(I've got dreams) rough dreams (dreams to remember)
I know you said he was just a friend
But I saw him kiss you again and again
These eyes of mine, they don't fool me
Why did he hold you so tenderly?
I've got dreams
Dreams to remember
Listen, honey
(I've got dreams) rough dreams (dreams to remember)
I still want you to stay
I still love you anyway
I don't want you to ever leave
Girl, you just satisfy me, ooh-wee
I know you said he was just a friend
But I saw you kiss him again and again
These eyes of mine, they don't fool me
Why did he hold you so tenderly?
I've got dreams
Dreams to remember
Listen to me, mama
(I've got dreams) bad dreams, rough dreams, oh (dreams to remember)
Don't make me suffer, don't let me
(I've got dreams, dreams, dreams to remember) rough dreams, bad dreams, rough dreams
In Angélique Kidjo's song "I've Got Dreams to Remember," the repeated refrain of having dreams serves as a metaphor for the singer's deeply held emotions and desires. The mention of dreams reflects the inner world of the singer, where their hopes, fears, and memories reside. By emphasizing the idea of dreams to remember, the song suggests that these feelings are significant and enduring, shaping the singer's experiences and perceptions.
The verses describe a heart-rending situation where the singer witnesses their loved one in the arms of another person. The singer struggles with feelings of betrayal, hurt, and confusion as they watch this intimate moment unfold before them. The juxtaposition of the tender imagery of holding someone tightly with the pain of walking away and crying highlights the emotional turmoil and longing experienced by the singer. The lyrics convey a sense of vulnerability and raw emotion as the singer grapples with their conflicting thoughts and emotions.
The chorus reinforces the intensity of the singer's emotions, emphasizing the significance of their dreams and memories. The repetition of the lines "Listen to me" and "Dreams to remember" underscores the urgency and importance of the singer's feelings. The rough dreams mentioned suggest that the dreams are not just idyllic fantasies but are imbued with turmoil and struggle, mirroring the emotional turmoil within the singer.
The final verses further delve into the complexities of the singer's feelings, expressing a mix of love, longing, and pain. Despite the hurt caused by witnessing their loved one with someone else, the singer admits to still loving them and wanting them to stay. The lyrics convey a sense of desperation and longing for connection, even in the face of heartbreak. The repeated mention of bad dreams and rough dreams underscores the tumultuous nature of the singer's emotions, highlighting the ongoing inner turmoil and longing for resolution. Overall, the song captures the depth of human emotions and the complexities of love and loss in a poignant and evocative manner.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group
Written by: JOE ROCK, OTIS REDDING, ZELMA REDDING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kwame Atoapoma Oteanankanduro
on Summertime
Awesome! Haa, I want the lyrics in the language she sang in.