Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo (born July 14, 1960), known as Angélique Kidjo, is a five-time Grammy Award winning Beninese singer-songwriter, actress, and activist who is noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. Kidjo was born into a family of performing artists. Her father was a musician, and her mother worked as a choreographer and theatre director. Kidjo married French musician and producer Jean Hébrail in 1987. Their daughter Naima was born 1993 in France.
Four – Agolo
Off the album “Aye” which was released in 1994, the official music video garnered over 4.9 million Views on YouTube. The music video “Agolo” was directed by Michel Meyer gave Kidjo her first Grammy nomination for best Music Video.
FYI
Kidjo is fluent in five languages: Fon, French, Yorùbá, Gen (Mina), and English. She sings in all of them, and she also has her own personal language, which includes words that serve as song titles such as “Batonga”. 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.
In 2006, Kidjo founded the Batonga Foundation with the goal of empowering and educating adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa.
Three – Djin Djin
Angélique Kidjo released the album Djin Djin on May 1, 2007. The official audio garnered over 15k views on YouTube. Many guests appear on the album including Josh Groban, Carlos Santana, Alicia Keys, Joss Stone, Peter Gabriel, Amadou and Mariam, Ziggy Marley, and Branford Marsalis. The album, produced by Tony Visconti, won a Grammy for Best Contemporary World Music Album and a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding World Music Album.
Two – Wombo lombo
The official music video garnered over 1.5 million views on YouTube off the album “FIFA” which was released in the year 1996. The single “Wombo Lombo” and its video directed by Michel Meyer was a big success all over Africa in 1996.
Awards
- Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album (USA, 2008)
- Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album, on February 8, 2015; Kidjo won her second Grammy Award for “Eve”, a tribute to the continent’s women.
- Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album, on February 15, 2016; Kidjo won her third Grammy Award for her 2015 album, Sings.
- On April 3, 2022, Angelique’s Mother Nature wins “Best Global Music Album” at the 64th Grammy award
- Kidjo’s Grammy nominations include the Best Music Video of 1995 and Best World Music Album for works completed in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2014 2015, 2019 and 2020.
- On December 27, 2014, in Lagos, Nigeria, Kidjo won two All African Music Awards (AFRIMA): one for Best Contemporary Artist, one for Best Female Singer from West Africa.
- March 2022, Forbes Woman Africa Entertainer Award.
Bonus
Shekere ft Angelique Kidjo
The official music video garnered over 23M views on YouTube. This song features five time Grammy Award winner, Angelique Kidjo. The music video was released on the 30th of August, 2019.
One – Do yourself feat. Burna Boy
The official music video garnered over 1.5 million views on YouTube. This song features another Grammy award winner; Burna Boy following her previous single “Africa One Of A Kind” of the album “Mother Nature” was released on the 10th of February,2022. The album “Mother Nature” won Angelique Kidjo the Best Global Music Album award at the 64th Grammys.
