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
La Vida Es Un Carnaval
Angélique Kidjo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tiene que saber que no es así
Que la vida es una hermosura, hay que vivirla
Todo aquel que piense que está solo y que está mal
Tiene que saber que no es así
Que en la vida no hay nadie solo, siempre hay alguien
Es más bello vivir cantando
Oh, oh, oh, ay, no hay que llorar
Que la vida es un carnaval
Y las penas se van cantando
Oh, oh, oh, ay, no hay que llorar que la vida es un carnaval
Es más bello vivir cantando
Oh, oh, oh, ay, no hay que llorar
Que la vida es un carnaval
Y las penas se van cantando
Todo aquel que piense que la vida siempre es cruel
Tiene que saber que no es así
Que tan solo hay momentos malos, y todo pasa
Todo aquel que piense que esto nunca va a cambiar
Tiene que saber que no es así
Que al mal tiempo buena cara, y todo pasa
Ay, no ha que llorar, que la vida es un carnaval
Es más bello vivir cantando
Oh, oh, oh, Ay, no hay que llorar
Que la vida es un carnaval
Y las penas se van cantando
Oh, oh, oh, ay, no hay que llorar que la vida es un carnaval
Es más bello vivir cantando
Oh, oh, oh, ay, no hay que llorar
Que la vida es un carnaval
Y las penas se van cantando
Carnaval, es para reir
No hay que llorar, para gozar
Carnaval, para disfrutar
Hay que vivir cantando
Carnaval, la vida es un carnaval
No hay que llorar, todos podemos cantar
Carnaval, ay señores
Hay que vivir cantando
Carnaval, todo aquel que piense
Que la vida es cruel
Carnaval, nunca estará solo
Hay que vivir cantando, dios está con él
Para aquellos que se quejan tanto
Para aquellos que solo critican
Para aquellos que usan las armas
Para aquellos que nos contaminan
Para aquellos que hacen la guerra
Para aquellos que viven pecando
Para aquellos que nos maltratan
Para aquellos que nos contagian
"La Vida Es Un Carnaval" by Angélique Kidjo is a joyful celebration of life and a reminder that despite the challenges and hardships we face, it is important to embrace life and find happiness. The lyrics convey the message that life is not unfair, but rather a beauty that needs to be lived. The song encourages listeners not to feel alone or down, as there is always someone there for support.
The chorus repeats the idea that there is no need to cry because life is a carnival. It emphasizes that it is more beautiful to live singing and that sorrows are alleviated through song. The song also acknowledges that there may be moments of cruelty and difficulty in life, but they are temporary and everything passes. The lyrics suggest that even in tough times, it is important to stay positive and face adversity with a smile.
Line by Line Meaning
Todo aquel que piense que la vida es desigual
Anyone who believes that life is unfair
Tiene que saber que no es así
Must know that it is not true
Que la vida es una hermosura, hay que vivirla
That life is beautiful, it must be lived
Todo aquel que piense que está solo y que está mal
Anyone who thinks they are alone and in a bad place
Tiene que saber que no es así
Must know that it is not true
Que en la vida no hay nadie solo, siempre hay alguien
That in life no one is alone, there is always someone
Ay, no hay que llorar, que la vida es un carnaval
Oh, there's no need to cry, because life is a carnival
Es más bello vivir cantando
It is more beautiful to live singing
Oh, oh, oh, ay, no hay que llorar
Oh, oh, oh, hey, there's no need to cry
Que la vida es un carnaval
Because life is a carnival
Y las penas se van cantando
And sorrows are sung away
Todo aquel que piense que la vida siempre es cruel
Anyone who thinks that life is always cruel
Tiene que saber que no es así
Must know that it is not true
Que tan solo hay momentos malos, y todo pasa
That there are only bad moments, and everything passes
Todo aquel que piense que esto nunca va a cambiar
Anyone who thinks that this will never change
Tiene que saber que no es así
Must know that it is not true
Que al mal tiempo buena cara, y todo pasa
That a good face comes with bad times, and everything passes
Carnaval, es para reir
Carnival, it's for laughing
No hay que llorar, para gozar
There's no need to cry, to enjoy
Carnaval, para disfrutar
Carnival, to have fun
Hay que vivir cantando
You have to live singing
Carnaval, la vida es un carnaval
Carnival, life is a carnival
No hay que llorar, todos podemos cantar
There's no need to cry, we all can sing
Carnaval, ay señores
Carnival, oh gentlemen
Hay que vivir cantando
You have to live singing
Carnaval, todo aquel que piense
Carnival, anyone who thinks
Que la vida es cruel
That life is cruel
Carnaval, nunca estará solo
Carnival, they will never be alone
Hay que vivir cantando, dios está con él
You have to live singing, God is with them
Para aquellos que se quejan tanto
For those who complain so much
Para aquellos que solo critican
For those who only criticize
Para aquellos que usan las armas
For those who use weapons
Para aquellos que nos contaminan
For those who pollute us
Para aquellos que hacen la guerra
For those who make war
Para aquellos que viven pecando
For those who live in sin
Para aquellos que nos maltratan
For those who mistreat us
Para aquellos que nos contagian
For those who infect us
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Victor Roberto Daniel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Steven Maglaya
Everyone needs to hear this version of the song ! Grateful for the voices of Celia and Angelique :)
Nika Yasua
Wow 😍 I love this version of this song ❤️
Ana
LOVE THIS. Makes my heart beat rhythmically
Amadou Elimane Diop
J’ai découvert cette musique de la voix d’ange d’angelique Kidjo et depuis j’arrête pas de réécouter. C’est splendide ❤️
Geneva Fillips
What a beauty this song is!! Brava Angelique!
Chris Bernasco
Wow for the singer, wow for the musicians!
Chiara D'Ascenzo
Fantástico!!
malia MD
Cette femme a un talent vraiment grandiose
Ebba
I love her!!!
Victorine Kangni soupké
C'est vraiment une joie d'écouter une chanteuse africaine qui métrise bien l'espagnol.