English

ANGELIQUE KIDJO
Musician
angeliquekidjo
Style: World
Joined: March 16, 2007
Last Sign In: 6 days ago
Subscribers: 118
Channel Views: 4,410
Official You Tube page for the Grammy award winning Beninese artist
With DJIN DJIN, her Grammy award winning release on Razor & Tie/Starbucks Entertainment, Angelique Kidjo comes home. The much-celebrated singer, composer, and performer began in the Beninese port village of Cotonou, where she launched her career at the age of six. The political turmoil in her country led her to relocate to Paris, the capital of world music, and then ultimately to New York City, where she now resides. Her striking voice, stage presence and her fluency in multiple cultures and languages won respect from her peers and expanded her following across national borders. It also earned her access to humanitarians who sensed the passion in the words of her songs, resulting in her long-term dedication to global charity work.

Kidjo has traveled far and mesmerized audiences on countless stages, speaking out on behalf of the children in her capacity as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. Now with DJIN DJIN and the return to her musical roots, Kidjo has truly closed the circle in her life as she brings international artists to the musical world of her native country.

As a child, Kidjo was mesmerized by an iconic album cover of Jimi Hendrix, which led her to follow the African roots of music from the United States, Brazil and the Carribean. The results were the Grammy-nominated trilogy of albums, OREMI, BLACK IVORY SOUL and OYAYA. With DJIN DJIN (pronounced "gin gin"), Angelique Kidjo returns to the soul of Benin -- and, for the first time, shares it with a cast of all-star guests, in a marriage of cultures that has significance far beyond music alone. Inspired by the traditions and culture of Kidjo's native Benin in West Africa, the title of the album refers to the sound of the bell that greets the beginning of a new day for Africa.

The diversity represented by Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, Josh Groban, Carlos Santana, Joss Stone, Branford Marsalis, producer Tony Visconti, and the others who contribute to DJIN DJIN speaks to the lesson of this project: For all the differences in the music of our time, the river of Africa flows through it all.

The key was to build DJIN DJIN on a Beninese foundation. The heartbeat, then, comes from percussionists Crespin Kpitiki and Benoit Avihoue, both members of Benin's Gangbé Brass Band. Details of their country's rhythmic heritage, specific in some cases to individual villages, feed the rhythms they lay down throughout the album.

To this mix Kidjo welcomes players whose backgrounds complement the idea of DJIN DJIN: drummer Poogie Bell, known for his work with Erykah Badu and Chaka Khan; funk keyboard wizard Amp Fiddler, whose credits include Prince and George Clinton; Larry Campbell, whose multi-instrumental work has adorned the music of Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, and Paul Simon; Senegalese bass giant Habib Faye, a fixture with Youssou N'Dour; guitarists Lionel Loueke, from jazz legend Herbie Hancock's band; Romero Lubambo, a Brazilian wonder whose credits include Diana Krall and Dianne Reeves; Joao Mota, from Guinea-Bissau and kora master Mamadou Diabate; and Dominic Kanzaz.

Each player is a virtuoso but, more important, is open to taking creative chances. "It was important to me that all of these great musicians come with me back to my roots," Kidjo says. "I've never compromised those roots because I know my identity, and I've learned that in order to give through music, you have to position yourself among other individuals who may be from different cultures and background and then find ways to discover that we're actually not different at all."

Record Label: Razor and Tie
Label Type: Independent
Band Members: Angelique Kidjo
Sounds Like: Africa
Country: United States
Albums:
Website URL: http://www.kidjo.com
Connect with angeliquekidjo
Embed This Channel:
<script src="http://www.gmodules.com/ig/ifr?url=http://www.google.com/ig/modules/youtube.xml&amp;up_channel=angeliquekidjo&amp;container=youtube&amp;w=320&amp;h=390&amp;title=&amp;border=%23ffffff%7C3px%2C1px+solid+%23999999&amp;output=js"></script>
Angelique Kidjo - Gimme Shelter (feat. Joss Stone)
3:31
Angelique Kidjo duets with Joss Stone on this update of the classic Rolling Stones...
1 year ago 28,611 views angeliquekidjo
Angelique Kidjo - EPK
6:21
[TRANSLATED] Angelique Kidjo - EPK
[TRANSLATED] Angelique Kidjo - EPK
Angelique Kidjo's new album, DJIN DJIN, will be in stores May 1st, guest artists i...
2 years ago 44,532 views angeliquekidjo
Angelique Kidjo Videos
4:03
Added: 2 years ago
Comments: 273
Views: 141,945
Rate this video

303 ratings
Please sign in to rate this video.
3:33
Added: 2 years ago
Comments: 102
Views: 79,828
Rate this video

170 ratings
Please sign in to rate this video.
Carlos Santana in Bochum, Germany
6:07
Carlos and Angelique Kidjo play "Pearls"
2 years ago 4,848 views rrcarlos
Angelique Kidjo @ Central Park Summerstage
3:50
For pictures from this concert click here: http://www.nycsummerblog.com/?p=70 An...
1 year ago 1,380 views nycsummer
Goodwill Ambassador Angélique Kidjo highlights benefits...
1:33
UNICEF correspondent Rachel Bonham Carter reports on Goodwill Ambassador Angélique...
no rating 2 years ago 988 views unicef no rating
angelique kidjo montreal jazz fest 6/07
2:52
Angelique performing "Mama Golo Papa" at the Jass Fest in Montreal with the amazin...
2 years ago 4,580 views nightnursenyc
Angelique Kidjo, Dunya Festival 2007, Rotterdam.
3:40
Angelique Kidjo at the Dunya Festival 2007, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
2 years ago 5,683 views antennerotterdam
Angelique Kidjo 6-22-2007
4:05
Angelique Kidjo plays at The Utah Arts Festival in Salt Lake City.
2 years ago 3,725 views videojay68
Angelique Kidjo concert
1:29
clip from her concert
2 years ago 2,515 views lehte2
Weeds Intro - Season 3 Episode 02 - Angelique Kidjo
0:51
"Little Boxes" as performed by Angelique Kidjo What's this all about? http://e...
1 year ago 44,473 views joeblowaz
Angelique Kidjo at Newport Folk 06 - Bahia
3:22
The great singer from Benin is about to open the Josh Grobin tour in the US where ...
2 years ago 5,662 views ronozer
Channel Comments (12)
sistalinda (1 day ago)
WOW! Wonderful music!
AlterHelen (3 months ago)
Why you put that video with Josh GRoban private?
lerenegat9 (5 months ago)
Salut Angélique,
Je suis étudiant béninois à Lyon, et je suis tellement fier de voir à quel point tu représente, à quel point tu es authentique et à quel point je peux dire à mes amis, "vous voyez cette femme qui chante avec joss stone, peter gabriel et carlos santana? Elle vient de chez moi! Merci pour ce cadeau....
xell75 (9 months ago)
angelique t'es simplement magnifique! Une femme africaine de force! j'aimeriez ecouter Fifa de ton album ( Fifa), je ne sais pa s' ya un clip avec. Que dieu te benisse a toi et tous les africains!!!
iheartjoshg (1 year ago)
Hey Angelique!!!! I absolutely loved it when you sang "Pearls" with Josh on the Awake Live DVD/CD!!! Anyway just wanted to say I think you have amazing talent and so glad you can perform with Josh!!!!
cepxuoe (1 year ago)
Salut Angélique...moi, j' áime ta musique
cepxuoe (1 year ago)
Salut Angélique...moi, j' áime ta musique
ekjjbabuna (1 year ago)
Finally here is a place to express my admiration! Love and best wishes!!!!
lili1nsa (1 year ago)
Angelique,
je t´admire bcp en tant que ambasatrice de ta culture. Tes vidéos clips sont magnifiques et ta voix et le rytme des chansons sont superbes!!!
ktmsmith3346 (1 year ago)
i wish i had seen you in london, i had no idea until the day after, i would give anything to see you perform oremi.
  1   2    Next