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
Itche Koutche
Angélique Kidjo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ou yéyé, o yéyé
Oko to fé n'ko
Ko fé ran émon
Ou yéyé, o yéyé
Ou yéyé, o yéyé
N'tori éyin nin
Iwo ofé mon
Ou yéyé, o yéyé
Ou yéyé, o yéyé
Ofé gba owo étan
N'tori ifé kossi
Ofé ko dja lé
Koman foun é l'owo
Itché koutché, itché koutché
Itché koutché, itché koutché, itché koutché
Itché koutché, itché koutché
Itché koutché, itché koutché, itché koutché
The lyrics to Angélique Kidjo's song Itche Koutche provide a glimpse into the life of a person who is going through struggles in their daily life. The first verse of the song talks about how the person is determined to keep going despite the challenges they face. The line "Oko to fé n'ko, Ko fé ran émon" roughly translates to "Even if I am tired, I will keep moving forward". This line captures the essence of the song - that despite the difficulties we face, it is important to keep pushing ahead and not give up.
The second verse of the song talks about the importance of love and relationships in our lives. The line "Ofé gba owo étan, N'tori ifé kossi" roughly translates to "We may struggle to make ends meet, but love is what keeps us together". This line emphasizes the importance of love and connection, even in the face of financial hardships. The chorus of the song, "Itché koutché", is a phrase in the Fon language of Benin (where Kidjo is from) that means "dance, dance". This line encourages listeners to let go of their worries and dance, even in the face of difficult circumstances. In this way, the song serves as a message of hope and encouragement, urging listeners to keep going and find joy in life despite their struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
Ou yéyé, o yéyé
Indicating excitement and enthusiasm
Oko to fé n'ko
Let's all come together in unity
Ko fé ran émon
And not allow greed to divide us
N'tori éyin nin
Because we all belong to the same human race
Iwo ofé mon
And we all have the ability to love
Ofé gba owo étan
Instead of chasing after material possessions
N'tori ifé kossi
We should focus on what truly matters - love and compassion
Ofé ko dja lé
And not forget that happiness is not found in materialism
Koman foun é l'owo
But in the simple things in life
Itché koutché, itché koutché
This phrase is an exclamation of joy and celebration
Itché koutché, itché koutché, itché koutché
Repeating the phrase emphasizes the importance of celebrating life
Itché koutché, itché koutché
And finding joy in the everyday moments
Itché koutché, itché koutché, itché koutché
Because life is too short not to celebrate and spread love
Writer(s): Angelique Kidjo, Jean Louis Pierre Hebrail Copyright: Warner Chappell Music France Sa, Aye
Contributed by Alex N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Brent Hollingworth
less than 3,000 views??! Crazy that amazing music like this isn't more in the spotlight
Henry Williams
Who Cares? This Young Lady "JAMS"😍
Edgar Evans
Outstanding Funk
Maira Stefanakou
In what language is this song? :)
vnwaneri
Yoruba! There are a few variations of the language but it is Yoruba from Benin in west africa
Deyan Nedelchev
she is very famouus world famous singer from benin and has grammy!go and read about her on wickipedia!
Western-Way Music Company
@vnwaneri Yoruba is a Nigerian language but there are variations like you said. Some people from Benin (like Angelique) speak the language because of their relationship with the Yoruba people. I am a Yoruba man.
Aina odole
@Western-Way Music Company She is Yoruba herself,mum yoruba,dad Benin.