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Home , Angelique Kidjo

CAL PERFORMANCE PRESENTS ABOUT THE ARTIST

Saturday, February 20, 2010, 8pm The explosive growth in the popularity of world groups, from UNICEF (for whom she is a Goodwill Zellerbach Hall music during the past several decades has broad- Ambassador) to her own Batonga Foundation (pro- ened the boundaries of our world, reminding lis- viding educational aid to young African girls). In teners of the vast cultural wealth and diversity in September 2009, she joined forces with UNICEF this wired age. The music of African-born song- in a campaign to eliminate tetanus. A portion of Angélique Kidjo stress Angélique Kidjo offers another perspective: proceeds for downloads of the song, “You Can that the world is also much smaller than we think, Count on Me,” will provide tetanus vaccines to and that no matter how far flung its peoples may pregnant women and mothers. Another haunting be, subtle lines of interconnection span the globe, song, “Agbalagba,” was originally penned for and uniting its people. offered as a free download with theNew York Times Ms. Kidjo, whose work has garnered her four bestselling book Say You’re One of Them by African Grammy Award nominations, has cross-pollinated writer Uwem Akpan. The book, recently featured the West African traditions of her childhood in in ’s Book Club, consists of five sto- with elements of American R&B, funk and ries, each written from the point of view of a child , as well as influences from Europe and Latin in Africa. Written with her longtime collaborator America. Throughout her career, she has collabo- Jean Hebrail in the Yoruba language, “Agbalagba” rated with a diverse group of international artists roughly translates to “the ancestors,” as the song like and . Her duet pertains to young peoples’ responsibility to those with on the song “Iwoya,” which that came before them. “I immediately felt a bond appeared on her record Black Ivory Soul, was a criti- with Uwem,” says Ms. Kidjo. “The second we met, cal success that helped diversify her fan base. it was as if we had always known each other. I’m The daughter of an actress, dancer and the- proud to contribute a song to his beautiful collec- atrical producer, Angélique Kidjo was born in tion of stories.” Quidah, a coastal city in the West African country Ms. Kidjo digs into her roots—roots that reach of Benin. Growing up in the port city of , far beyond her homeland of Benin—on her new she was exposed to a far-ranging array of music and Razor & Tie release, OYO. Her art roves across dance. Inheriting her mother’s love of performing, boundaries, genres and ethnicities, finding the Ms. Kidjo made her stage debut with her mother’s connections that link musical forms from every theatrical troupe. Inspired by the rock, pop and part of the world, while still bonding closely with soul music of , Santana, Miriam her own traditions. The songs on OYO embrace Makeba, and , she R&B, soul, jazz and Beninese melodies, as well as a was singing professional by her 20th birthday. trio of her own original works. Jed Root Although her first album, Pretty, produced by Her version of ’s “Move on Up,” Cameroon-based vocalist Ekambi Brilliant, yield- which she sings in duet with multiple Grammy- ed a hit single, “Ninive,” the oppressive political winning singer , epitomizes her af- Angélique Kidjo vocals environment of Benin led her to relocate to Paris fection for classic R&B. Chosen, says Ms. Kidjo, Dominic James guitar in 1980, where her international career began to “by my daughter,” the song illustrates her skill at Andre Manga bass blossom. Initially active in the jazz community, she finding both the timelessness and the contempo- Ibrahim Diagne percussion gradually expanded her interests and, by the 1990s, rary qualities in a song. In 1970, Mr. Mayfield Daniel Freedman drums had become a major international artist. sang “Move on Up” as a rallying call to underprivi- In the course of her successful career, Ms. Kidjo leged American youth. In 2010, Ms. Kidjo and has spread her rhythmic Afro-funk fusion to the Mr. Legend, backed by a spirited chorus and riff- Mauel Elias tour manager four corners of the globe. With her fun-loving ing horns, sing “Move on Up” as a call to African Pierre Bianchi sound engineer personality, her onstage charisma and her totally youth to direct the fate of their continent. unique voice, she is certainly one of the most popu- Ms. Kidjo was delighted to have the superb lar artists on the current world scene. guitarist and singer, —also a native Over the past decade, she has used her visibil- of Benin—backing her on the CD. Their friend- Cal Performances’ 2009–2010 season is sponsored by Wells Fargo. ity to support a far-reaching collection of advocacy ship reaches back to their youth. “His brother was

20 CAL PERFORMANCES CAL PERFORMANCES 21 ABOUT THE ARTIST in my class,” she says. “Lionel understood exactly intensity. “Mbube,” associated with Miriam what I was trying to do when I told him I wanted to Makeba and Harry Belafonte is, says Ms. Kidjo, get into the music that influenced me as a child.” “the original version of ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight,’ That music—the music from her youth—is before it had French or English lyrics.” the theme of the album’s most mesmerizing tracks. Her original songs illuminate the emotional Her renderings of songs by iconic American pop range of her creativity. She describes the spirited music figures display Ms. Kidjo’s ability to, as she “Kelele” as a “High Life from Ghana,” and adds says, “bring the music of Benin” into her interpreta- that, “Everywhere I go in the world, I want people tions. Carlos Santana’s “Samba Pa Ti” emerges as a to remember that they are human beings and to captivating ballad spotlighting the trumpet of Roy remember that if we don’t have fun, everything we Hargrove. On “Cold Sweat,” featuring members of do will have no taste.” the Afro Beat band , the horn-heavy riffs Given the stylistic range of the selections, the and call and response backup singing frame a driv- music for OYO was recorded in an remarkably ing vocal from Ms. Kidjo that would surely have short period of time. “In four days, with the help been a turn-on for James Brown. of Christian McBride on upright bass, Kendrick But the closing piece she selected for the album Scott on drums and Thiokho Diagne on percus- traces to even earlier memories. Ms. Kidjo was only sion, we did 16 songs,” says Ms. Kidjo. “But it six years old the first time she sang in public, and wasn’t hard, because I have so much music in my the song was “Atcha Houn,” a traditional melody brain. It was there, it was dominant, it was ready to she describes as “a kind of parade music people sing be expressed, and I urgently wanted to express it.” when they gather together. I sang it at my mom’s And express it she did, with the same kind of theater company,” she recalls. “My mom had to charismatic life force that she expresses in her stage push me onstage to do it, but that’s when my ad- performances. Asked about her seemingly bound- diction to singing, and to the stage, got started.” less enthusiasm, drive and creativity, Ms. Kidjo She has never lost her African musical connec- laughs and says, “Without challenges in life, we get tions, the linkages of which are present in several bored. Me, I just always keep in mind what my traditionally oriented pieces. The dramatic, call- grandmother used to say, ‘You rest when you die.’” like melody of “Zelie” was composed by Togo’s Bella Bellow, and sung by Ms. Kidjo with articulate Don Heckman

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