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
Macumba
Angélique Kidjo Lyrics
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Hum
Macumba cumba
Hum
Min bi wa, nou min nin djo kple le
Macumba, macumba
Ho dido dokpo o nou vive we
Gbe elo djin minbisse do lo
Macumba, macumba
Bo blo dagbe, bo lin daho lo
Macumba cumba
Hum
Macumba cumba
Hum
Ayi devo ko le hon egbe lo
Macumba, macumba
Min go alo mou nonzo min ton lo
Macumba, macumba
Do gbe lo kpo omin nou minbisse
Macumba, macumba
Min lin daho, min blo dagbe le
Aooo gbe elo min yon lo
Aooo gbe elo min yon
Aooo min wa min djo kple
Honton, nonvi lo
Min bi sin afo nin so gbe
The lyrics to Angélique Kidjo's song "Macumba" are in the Ewe language and are a celebration of the traditional voodoo ceremonies of West Africa. The repeated refrain of "Macumba cumba" is a reference to the rhythmic drumming that is a central component of voodoo ceremonies. The rest of the song refers to various aspects of the ceremonies, such as the use of dancing and singing to call forth the spirits, and the offering of sacrifices to the gods.
The lyrics also speak to the idea of community and the importance of coming together to celebrate and honor their shared traditions. The song encourages people to come together to honor their past and embrace their cultural heritage. There is a sense of joy and excitement throughout the song, as it celebrates the strength and vibrancy of African culture.
Overall, "Macumba" is a powerful and joyful celebration of African traditions and the enduring power of cultural identity.
Line by Line Meaning
Macumba cumba
Celebration of African voodoo religion, invoking the spirits
Hum
Sound effect indicating a mystical atmosphere
Macumba cumba
Continuation of the voodoo celebration
Hum
The atmosphere gets more intense
Min bi wa, nou min nin djo kple le
We are all one in this celebration, united by faith and spirit
Macumba, macumba
The repetition of the word amplifies the spiritual energy
Ho dido dokpo o nou vive we
The spirits of the ancestors reside within us, giving us life
Gbe elo djin minbisse do lo
The dance motions and rhythms entice the gods to join the celebration
Bo blo dagbe, bo lin daho lo
We dance with fervor and joy, moving our bodies to the beat
Ayi devo ko le hon egbe lo
We call upon the loas, or voodoo spirits, to bless and protect us
Min go alo mou nonzo min ton lo
With every step and every motion, we follow the spirits' guidance
Do gbe lo kpo omin nou minbisse
As we dance, we offer our energy and our bodies to the gods
Min lin daho, min blo dagbe le
Our spirits are lifted, our bodies invigorated by the power of the dance
Aooo gbe elo min yon lo
We call upon the gods to join us in our celebration
Aooo gbe elo min yon
The repeated call is a chant, inviting the spirits to join us
Aooo min wa min djo kple
We are one in the celebration, united by our faith and spirit
Honton, nonvi lo
The presence of the spirits is felt, their energy all around us
Min bi sin afo nin so gbe
With each motion we make, we feel closer to the gods, and to each other
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: 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.