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
Le monde comme un bébé
Angélique Kidjo Lyrics
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Si tout était beau
Ta main
J'aurais moins besoin
Ah, si tout était vous
Si tout était chaud
D'amour
Je sais le monde
Imparfait
Je sais comment le changer
Imagine
Le monde comme un bébé
Caresser et beaucoup pardonner
Imagine
Le monde comme un bébé
Pardonner et beaucoup caresser
Mais, quand tout devient fou
Quand tout devient faux
D'amour
On a bien besoin
Où, poser mes yeux
Où ?
Quand l'eau manque partout
Tes mains
J'ai vraiment besoin
Je sais le monde
Imparfait
Je sais comment le changer
Imagine
Le monde comme un bébé
Arroser et regarder pousser
Imagine
Le monde comme un bébé
Respecter et beaucoup s'occuper
Imagine
Le monde comme un bébé
Caresser et beaucoup pardonner
Imagine
Le monde comme un bébé
Pardonner et beaucoup caresser
Imagine
Le monde comme un bébé
Caresser et beaucoup pardonner
Imagine
Le monde comme un bébé
Pardonner et beaucoup caresser
The lyrics of "Le Monde Comme un Bébé" by Angélique Kidjo and Henri Salvador convey a desire for a more gentle and beautiful world. The opening lines express a longing for everything to be soft and lovely, wishing for a comforting hand that would make life easier. The repetition of "ah" emphasizes this longing and the hope for a better experience.
The second verse continues this sentiment, imagining a world filled with warmth and love. The singer expresses that if everything was like this, they would need less in life. It highlights the power of love and affection in making the world a better place. The lines "Je sais le monde/Imparfait/J'ai sais comment le changer" suggest an acknowledgment of the world's imperfections, but also a belief in the ability to bring about change.
The chorus presents the idea of imagining the world as a baby. This symbolizes innocence, purity, and vulnerability. The lyrics encourage treating the world with care and understanding, much like one would care for a baby. It emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and tenderness in our interactions with others and the world around us.
The third verse acknowledges that sometimes the world becomes chaotic and false, but even in those challenging times, love remains essential. It questions where to find solace and relief when everything seems to be falling apart. The reference to water scarcity adds to the sense of urgency and the need for support and nurturing.
The second half of the song repeats the chorus, reinforcing the idea of treating the world like a baby. It proposes watering and nurturing it, just as a caregiver would, and watching it thrive. The lyrics also emphasize the need for respect and care in our interactions, suggesting that by approaching the world with compassion, forgiveness, and gentle touch, we can bring positive change to an imperfect world.
Overall, "Le Monde Comme un Bébé" calls for a more compassionate and loving approach to the world, recognizing its imperfections but also highlighting the power of our actions to create change. It presents a hopeful message of what the world could be if we treat it with the tenderness and care we would offer to a child.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah, si tout était doux
Oh, if everything was gentle
Si tout était beau
If everything was beautiful
Ta main
Your hand
J'aurais moins besoin
I would need less
Ah, si tout était vous
Oh, if everything was you
Si tout était chaud
If everything was warm
D'amour
With love
J'aurais moins besoin
I would need less
Je sais le monde
I know the world
Imparfait
Imperfect
Je sais comment le changer
I know how to change it
Imagine
Imagine
Le monde comme un bébé
The world like a baby
Caresser et beaucoup pardonner
To caress and forgive a lot
Imagine
Imagine
Le monde comme un bébé
The world like a baby
Pardonner et beaucoup caresser
To forgive and caress a lot
Mais, quand tout devient fou
But, when everything becomes crazy
Quand tout devient faux
When everything becomes fake
D'amour
With love
On a bien besoin
We really need
Où, poser mes yeux
Where to rest my eyes
Où ?
Where?
Quand l'eau manque partout
When water is scarce everywhere
Tes mains
Your hands
J'ai vraiment besoin
I truly need
Je sais le monde
I know the world
Imparfait
Imperfect
Je sais comment le changer
I know how to change it
Imagine
Imagine
Le monde comme un bébé
The world like a baby
Arroser et regarder pousser
To water and watch it grow
Imagine
Imagine
Le monde comme un bébé
The world like a baby
Respecter et beaucoup s'occuper
To respect and take care a lot
Imagine
Imagine
Le monde comme un bébé
The world like a baby
Caresser et beaucoup pardonner
To caress and forgive a lot
Imagine
Imagine
Le monde comme un bébé
The world like a baby
Pardonner et beaucoup caresser
To forgive and caress a lot
Lyrics © AYE, WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: PIERRE ANDRE GRILLET, JEAN LOUIS PIERRE HEBRAIL, ANGELIQUE KIDJO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kwame Atoapoma Oteanankanduro
on Summertime
Awesome! Haa, I want the lyrics in the language she sang in.