The musical geography of Angelique Kidjo January 2020

 

 

GEELONG MUSIC GROUP 16 January 2020 The musical geography of Angelique Kidjo

Angélique Kidjo was born on 14 July 1960 in Benin, West Africa. She is a singer-songwriter who sings in five languages: Fon (her father's), Yoruba (her mother's), Gen (Mina), French and English. Since 2002, she's been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.   EARLY CAREER 1981. Recorded her first album Pretty with her brother Oscar, which led to tours of West Africa. 1983. To escape Benin's continuing political unrest, Kidjo moved to Paris. Studying at the CIM jazz school, she met musician & producer Jean Hebrail, co-composer of most of her music. They married in 1987 & their daughter Naima was born in 1992. They moved to New York in 1998, 1985. Kidjo became the front singer of Euro-African jazz/rock band Pili Pili, recording 3 LPs. (A Pili Pili band continues in Florida.)     GOING SOLO - EXPLORING AFRICAN ROOTS In the seven LPs of her solo career, Kidjo explored connections between music from Africa and North America. Africa contributed polyrhythms and traditional instruments; North America contributed electronic instruments, engineering & production.   The first two LPs - Ewa Ka Djo [Let's Dance] (1985) and Parakou (1990) - are no longer available: the other 4 were on Island Records. The title track of "Ewa Ka Djo" was re-released on her 1991 Logozo.   1. Angelique Kidjo (1991) "Ewa Ka Djo". Logozo (Tortoise) Island Records. No. 1 on Billboard's World Music chart.   CELEBRATING WOMEN Kidjo campaigns actively (sometimes via music) for girls' and women's rights, social justice and environmental issues. 8. Angelique Kidjo (2014) "Ebile". Eve. SLG, LLC. ((With the Kronos Quartet.) Her LP Eve was dedicated to "the resilience and beauty of the women of Africa".   9. Angelique Kidjo (2019) "Quimbara". Celia. SLG, LLC. Kidjo's LP Celia (2019) was her tribute to Cuban singer Celia Cruz.     THEN .... RECLAIMING AFRICA! In 2018, Kidjo reinterpreted Talking Heads' LP Remain in Light (1980). The original combined producer Brian Eno's signature electronics & 'ambience' with the polyrhythmic music of West Africa - notably Fela Kuti's 'Afro-beat'. 10. Fela Kuti (1973) "Eko lie". Afrodisiac. EMI.   From such inspiration, Talking Heads and Eno created a series of 'riffs' that layered percussion, guitars and babbling keyboards. 11. Talking Heads (1980) "Fela's Riff (unfinished outtake)". Remain in Light. Sire.   Over such 'riffs', singer David Byrne sang free association 'lyrics'. 12. Talking Heads (1980) "Born under punches". Talking Heads Remain in Light. Sire.   Kidjo's reinterpretation of Remain in Light kept its rhythms & suppressed its electronics. 13. Angelique Kidjo "Born under punches" (2018) Remain in Light. Kravenworks.

2. Angelique Kidjo "Tatchedogbe". (1994) Ayé. Island Records. "Aye" means "Life" in Yoruba. The LP was Kidjo's first nomination for a Grammy award.   3. Angelique Kidjo (1996) "Bitchifi". Fifa. Island Records. "Fifa" means "Peace" in Fon. Kidjo & Hebrail recorded traditional rhythms in Benin and finished the LP in Europe & the USA. The single was a hit across Africa.   The LP Oremi started a trilogy showing the African roots of the musics of North America, South America and Caribbean. Through slavery, the Beninese beliefs of "Vodun" went to Haiti as "Voodoo", then to New Orleans.   4. Jimi Hendrix (1968) "Voodoo Chile (Slight return)". Electric Ladyland. Reprise.   5. Angelique Kidjo (1998) "Voodoo Chile (Slight return)". Oremi. Island Records.     BENIN MEETS SOUTH AMERICA 6. Angelique Kidjo (2002) "Bahia". Black Ivory Soul. Sony Music Entertainment. The LP explores the connections between the music of Benin and of Bahia (N-W Brazil). Kidjo co-wrote tracks with local composers and recorded the percussion base in Salvador.   7. Angelique Kidjo (2004) "Macumba". Oyaya! Sony Music Entertainment. The LP mixes Latin and Caribbean music with African guitars and marimbas.         "Beninese music is not based on melodies and harmonies - in the south we don't have a harmonic instrument like the guitar. Rhythm inspires the dancer who in turn inspires the singers. The movements of the body are transformed into riffs of percussion on which the lyrics begin to dance. Dance and music are inseparable ... And in Benin, the dancer is the leader of the drums, like the conductor of a symphony orchestra." Kidjo, A. (2014) Spirit Rising. Harper Collins. (85-87, 123)