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
Shango Wa
Angélique Kidjo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shango wa fe ki yin o
Shango shango
Shango wa fe ki yin o Orou komin nin Shango
Mon wayé oti kpè ko tché nin
Kabi omon kpé émin nin aara
Manamana min manlé awon olofofo Orou komin nin Shango
Mon wayé oti kpè ko tché nin
Ohouni lé olé, kpèlou olofofo Shango shango
Shango wa fe ki yin o
Shango shango
Shango wa fe ki yin o Orou komin nin Shango
Mon wayé oti kpè ko tché nin
Kabi omon kpé émin nin aara
Manamana min manlé awon olofofo Shango shango
Shango wa fe ki yin o
Shango shango
Shango wa fe ki yin o Enin bodé èkou o Shango bodé
Enin bodé èkou o Shango bodé
Enin bodé èkou o Shango bodé
Enin bodé èkou o Shango bodé
The song "Shango Wa" by Angélique Kidjo is a tribute to the Yoruba god of thunder, Shango. The song celebrates Shango's power, calling on his strength and asking for his blessings. The lyrics are in Yoruba, a West African language spoken mostly in Nigeria, Benin and Togo.
In the first verse, the singer repeats "Shango wa fe ki yin o" which can be translated to "Shango, we want to praise you". The second verse speaks to the power of Shango, stating that even his enemies fear him. The third verse mentions Shango's ability to protect his followers and defeat his enemies. Throughout the song, the phrase "Orou komin nin Shango" is used, which means "Shango's followers".
The chorus, "Enin bodé èkou o Shango bodé," is a reference to the drums played in honor of Shango during his celebrations. The drums are said to be his voice, representing his power and authority. The song's rhythm is heavily influenced by traditional Yoruba music, with a mix of percussion instruments and call-and-response vocals.
Overall, the lyrics of "Shango Wa" are a celebration of the power of Shango and the Yoruba culture. The song highlights the importance of drumming, a key element of Yoruba music and religious ceremonies.
Line by Line Meaning
Shango shango
Repeated call out to the god Shango
Shango wa fe ki yin o
Shango, we ask for your blessing
Orou komin nin Shango
Shango, powerful god
Mon wayé oti kpè ko tché nin
I have felt your power in my life
Kabi omon kpé émin nin aara
You are the holder of the earth's secrets
Manamana min manlé awon olofofo
You are known and respected by all
Agbara min nin aaké
You have strength beyond measure
Ohouni lé olé, kpèlou olofofo
Your presence is felt by all, even the rulers
Enin bodé èkou o Shango bodé
People dance in praise of Shango
Contributed by Abigail Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kwame Atoapoma Oteanankanduro
on Summertime
Awesome! Haa, I want the lyrics in the language she sang in.