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
Olofoofo
Angélique Kidjo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ekpanou mon wahala o djadé, oro oto ko shé so o
Ododo sisso koni èssan, oto rè ko djè oto mi
Ododo sisso foun wa ni àapon, oto rè ko djè oto mi
Olofoofo ni àajo, akiyèsi,
Olofoofo ko fè ran oto o
Olofoofo ni aàjo, akiyèsi,
Olofoofo ko fè ran oto o
Ekpanou mon wahala o djadé, oro oto ko shé so o
Ododo nini ko ni esan, oto mi ko djé oto rè
Ododo nini gbé wa sinou àapon, oto mi ko djè oto rè
Olofoofo ni àajo, akiyèsi, olofoofo ko fè ran oto o
Olofoofo ni àajo, akiyèsi, olofoofo ko fè ran oto o
A a a molé olofoofo, aaa ayé yi ko shéshé
A aa molé olofoofo, emin o fè soro mon
Ayé yi ko shéshé, oto mon fè ran tchogbo, ayé yi ko shéshé
Emin o fè soro omondé, ayé yi ko shéshé, emin o fè olofoofo
Ayé yi ko shéshé, oto mon fè ran omondé, ayé yi ko shéshé
Ekpanou mon éshinshin m'bowa, ayé yi ko shéshé
Oto ré ko djè oto mi
olofoofo, olofoofo, olofoofo, olofoofo
Truth is not an easy thing to say
Close your mouth before the problems start
I'm so tired
Because my sincerity brings me troubles
If I was lying
I would get sympathy and attention
But your truth is not my truth...
The song "Olofoofo" by Angélique Kidjo is a powerful and thought-provoking song. The song is sung in Yoruba, a language spoken in Nigeria, and is about truth and the challenges of being truthful in a world where lies and deceit are prevalent. The lyrics express the challenges the singer faces for being honest and sincere. The lyrics depict the singer's frustration with the fact that if she were to lie, she would receive sympathy and attention, but since she chooses to be truthful, it brings her problems.
The singer uses metaphors to describe her struggles with truth. The word "Olofoofo" is a Yoruba word that refers to someone who tells the truth no matter what the consequences are. The lyrics further state that "truth is not an easy thing to say" and that "close your mouth before the problems start." These statements suggest that the singer is aware that being truthful comes with challenges. The song has a repetitive and catchy chant-like chorus that reinforces the message of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Ekpanou mon éshinshin m'bowa, oro oto ko shé so o
My problems keep increasing, and I can't solve them
Ekpanou mon wahala o djadé, oro oto ko shé so o
My troubles are piling up, and I can't manage them
Ododo sisso koni èssan, oto rè ko djè oto mi
The truth I speak to you brings me nothing but problems
Ododo sisso foun wa ni àapon, oto rè ko djè oto mi
The truth I speak to you reveals flaws, and I receive no benefit
Olofoofo ni àajo, akiyèsi, Olofoofo ko fè ran oto o
Liars have followers, but those who speak the truth face opposition
Olofoofo ni aàjo, akiyèsi, Olofoofo ko fè ran oto o
Liars have support, but those who speak the truth are deserted
Ayé yi ko shéshé, oto mon fè ran tchogbo, ayé yi ko shéshé
This world does not favor the truth, and I face hardships because of it
Emin o fè soro omondé, ayé yi ko shéshé, emin o fè olofoofo
Talking about others behind their backs gets attention, but speaking the truth does not
Ayé yi ko shéshé, oto mon fè ran omondé, ayé yi ko shéshé
This world does not favor the truth, and I face hardships because of it
Ekpanou mon éshinshin m'bowa, ayé yi ko shéshé
My problems keep increasing, and the world does not care
Oto ré ko djè oto mi
Speaking the truth to others brings me troubles
olofoofo, olofoofo, olofoofo, olofoofo
Liars, liars, liars, liars
Contributed by Jeremiah J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@randyjustrandy9937
Angelique is tremendous. She needs to be waaaaaaaaaaaaaay more famous in the United States than she is. It's a crime...
@ielba1
ADORO ESSA MÚSICA PQ TEM UMA MELODIA MARAVILHOSA E TRANSMITE UMA PAZ TÃO GRANDE!! BJS!!
@tiinaskroderus4216
J'adore aussi cette musique, c'est MAGNIFIQUE!!
@coulibalydaoudi3250
Moi aussi j'adore cette musique.
@dianabanana8307
Thank you so much. This song....I can't understand the meaning of the words . But man I feel it in my heart Really brings me in a soft loving spot with a sad underlayer..... Africa to me is calling from her soul.....
@emyemi8289
I don't understand a word, but why does this pain feels good?
@onahgodwin4878
Olofoofo is a person who takes delight in gossips with envious mindset
@nosoyyo3
Descubrir tu música ha sido una maravilla!! gracias!!
@agi_pakarani
beautiful song
@cristinanoberto1089
Perfeita Angelique!