San Francisco Classical Voice : Angelique Kidjo and Yo-Yo Ma Make a West African Dance Party with "Sarabande Africaine"

Cal Performances couldn’t have engineered a better season kickoff than a joyous collaboration between Beninese superstar singer Angélique Kidjo and cello maestro Yo-Yo Ma. "Sarabande Africaine" explores a whole new set of shapes. On “Lonlon,” Kidjo delivered her original lyrics for Maurice Ravel’s Bolero with the requisite dynamic calibration. She was at her Parisian best on “La Foule,” which set the chanson standard indelibly linked to Piaf to a galloping vals Peruano groove. And her Yoruban lyric for a theme from Bach’s Keyboard Concerto No. 5, recited by Ma in English beforehand, transformed the melody into a supplication for the safety of girls in conflict zones.

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CBC : Angélique Kidjo's life and work is defined by one thing — freedom

Kidjo is known as a legendary singer, a five-time Grammy winner and one of the most lauded African artists of our time, but her path in music was almost cut short. Looking back, her life and work has really been defined by one thing : freedom.

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Afropop Worldwide : Angélique Kidjo and Christian McBride Support Jazz House Kids

"On March 6, 2025, Angélique Kidjo joined nine-time GRAMMY winning bassist and composer Christian McBride for the Ralph Pucci 9th Annual Jazz Set, The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian®. The evening benefited Jazz House Kids, a nationally-acclaimed nonprofit that uses the power and legacy of jazz to give young people an artistic edge, providing access to world-class arts education and live performances, no matter what their financial constraints. Angélique brought her dynamic presence to an intimate evening at Ralph Pucci International in New York City, set against the iconic backdrop of Frank Stewart's masterful jazz photography."

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Africa Renawal : On music, activism, and empowering Africa’s next generation (by Franck Kowonu)

Grammy winner and UNICEF ambassador, Angélique Kidjo, shares insights on blending cultures, empowering women and youth, and her ongoing mission to bring Africa’s voice to the world. A conversation with Angélique Kidjo on the power of music, Africa’s future, and breaking boundaries.

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BN TV : Angélique Kidjo Opens Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony with a Powerful Performance

Grammy-nominated artist Angélique Kidjo, stunning in a black glittering suit paired with a light brown silk shirt and an elegantly wrapped Ankara scarf, left a lasting impression with her powerful performance at the Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony.

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Grateful Web : JAZZ HOUSE KiDS Announces ANGÉLIQUE KIDJO as special guest at the RALPH PUCCI 9th Annual Jazz Set Benefit on Thursday, March 6, 2025

Today, JAZZ HOUSE KiDS announces international singer-songwriter, actor, and activist Angélique Kidjo as the special guest for the fundraiser, RALPH PUCCI 9th Annual Jazz Set, The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian, on March 6, 2025. Hosted by nine-time GRAMMY-winning bassist and composer Christian McBride, this intimate evening will benefit JAZZ HOUSE KiDS, the nationally acclaimed nonprofit that uses the power and legacy of jazz to give young people an artistic edge—providing them with access to world-class arts education and live performances regardless of financial constraints.

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The Guardian : Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? reissued as all-star mashup – including three generations of Bono

For 40 years, Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? has been praised by some as a triumph of charitable fundraising and festive songwriting – and condemned by others as the most high-profile example of white saviourhood in pop. Now, to mark its latest anniversary, the song is coming back around for a fourth time, in the form of an all-star splicing of the three previous official versions. Announcing the new version, Bob Geldof, who masterminded the 1984 original, says Do They Know It’s Christmas? “tells the story not just of unbelievably great generational British talent, but still stands as a rebuke to that period in which it was first heard. The 80s proclaimed that ‘greed is good’. This song says it isn’t. It says it’s stupid.” Proceeds will benefit the Band Aid Charitable Trust, which supports health and anti-poverty initiatives across Africa.

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New York Latin Culture : Angélique Kidjo Celebrates 40 Years of Musical Joy at Carnegie Hall

Angélique Kidjo is a Beninese French singer-songwriter, actress, and activist with such a long and influential career that she is now considered “The Queen of African Music.” Kidjo is a true force of nature. Angélique Kidjo, with the Color of Noize Orchestra conducted by Derrick Hodge, celebrates 40 years of music and JOY; on the Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall in Midtown, Manhattan; on Saturday, November 2, 2024 at 8pm. Kidjo is a multi-Grammy winning, Beninese singer, UNICEF and OXFAM goodwill Ambassador who launched her music career in France. She is an African woman of the world who speaks fluent Fon, Yoruba, Gen, French, and English.

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Sortir à Paris : Angélique Kidjo in a special concert at the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris

On Monday, October 7, 2024, an exceptional concert will take place in the sumptuous setting of the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. The artist Angélique Kidjo will give a unique and exclusive performance to mark the 40th anniversary of her career and the opening weekend of the "Révélation! Contemporary Art from Benin" exhibition. For the occasion, Angélique Kidjo will be accompanied by pianist Thierry Vaton.

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L'Humanité : Angélique Kidjo : « L’inspiration reste du domaine de l’inconnu » (by Clément Garcia)

Angélique Kidjo made her name in France. But it was in the United States that she became a phenomenon. Winner of five prestigious Grammy Awards, named international ambassador for Unicef and invited to take part in major international events, the singer has colored world pop with African hues, forging collaborations with the most illustrious musicians of her time. Meet an artist with an atypical career and a major influence, before her concert at the Fête de l'Humanité on Sunday September 15, on the Angela Davis stage.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

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Wtop : Five-time Grammy winner Angélique Kidjo joins NSO for ‘African Symphony’ at Kennedy Center (by Jason Fraley)

This Wednesday, Angélique Kidjo performs live with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. “It has been a program we have been talking about for a while now,” Kidjo told WTOP. “The thing that was important for me was to come and pay tribute to the music that has inspired my music from the 60s (Miriam Makeba, Fela Kuti and Youssou N’Dour) all the way down to today with the music of Burna Boy, Rema and all the young kids that grew up listening to my music. Music has informed me about the diversity of our shared humanity.”

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Ghana Web : Angélique Kidjo celebrates as 'Manodzi' wins 'Record of the Year' at the TGMAs

Renowned music legend Angélique Kidjo celebrated her recent win at this year’s Telecel Ghana Music Awards. Her collaboration with Stonebwoy on the track “Manodzi” featured on his 5th Dimension album, was honoured with the “Record of the Year” award at the prestigious event".

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Inside Africa : CNN’s Inside Africa Joins Five-Time Grammy Winner Angelique Kidjo Backstage And Back Home During Her Tour

In a new episode of Inside Africa, CNN joins five-time Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo who is on tour celebrating her 40th anniversary at the top of the global music industry. She says: “Being on stage for me is just the best thing ever. It’s the best place, and the safest, and the most beautiful place that exists on earth for me.” The Beninese star is out to change perceptions of ‘African music’ one audience at a time: “People still think that classical music has nothing to do with African music. That there is any music on this planet that has nothing to do with Africa. So, why is Africa the cradle of humanity? Where do we come from? And the way that we can dissociate ourself, for me, is a manifestation of fear. Because the narrative that I’ve been told about Africa is so negative, that no one wants to be associated with it. So, if you want to change the narrative, let’s start with music.”

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Inside Africa : Inside Africa Inside Africa 'Africa's premier diva' celebrates four decades at the top

CNN joins five-time Grammy winner Angélique Kidjo backstage on her global anniversary tour, and brings Davido, Stonebwoy and Yo-Yo Ma along for the ride.

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ArtsHub : Music review: Angélique Kidjo, Perth Festival (by Wolfgang von Flugelhorn)

Beninese-French singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo is a force of nature. Now in her early 60s, her voice is as strong and percussive as ever, her dancing as energetic and playful, her enthusiasm as infectious and her message of empowerment and justice as heartfelt and resounding. In her concert at Perth Concert Hall last Thursday night, she was the embodiment of this year’s Festival theme of Ngaangk (the sun), a female deity in Noongar cosmology who is equally a source of warmth, light, nourishment and protection.

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The 1A : Angélique Kidjo’s global music always returns home

Angélique Kidjo will be in Sweden later this month to accept the Polar Prize. The award is one of the music industry’s most prestigious prizes, recognizing the most influential people in the business. Past winners include some of Kidjo’s collaborators, including Paul McCartney. Kidjo is only the third musician from Africa to win the Polar Prize. Since her music career began, she’s championed music from her home continent.

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BBC News : Music icon Angélique Kidjo is celebrating 40 years in music this year - marking the occasion with a concert at London's Royal Albert Hall

Music icon Angélique Kidjo is celebrating 40 years in music this year - marking the occasion with a concert at London's Royal Albert Hall. [...] The singer takes every opportunity to use her voice and her platform to campaign for the betterment of humanity, as she sees it. She is a Unicef and Oxfam goodwill ambassador, and has her own charity, Batonga, dedicated to supporting the education of young girls in Africa. [...] Young African artists have an opportunity to bring about positive change for a continent facing many challenges, she says. So is she mentoring any of these younger artists? "We talk," she says. "Like at this concert. Apart from doing music I always tell them, 'You have a responsibility."

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New York Times : Perelman Arts Center Opens in New York and Welcomes the World (by Jon Pareles)

Global performers including Angelique Kidjo, Laurie Anderson and José Feliciano will inaugurate the theater at ground zero. The series affirms the city’s diversity with an international lineup that includes Grammy-winning stars — Angélique Kidjo on Sept. 19, Common on Sept. 21, José Feliciano on Sept. 23 — along with lesser-known musicians dedicated to preserving and extending deep-rooted traditions. The program for Devotion: Faith As Refuge, on Sept. 20, includes klezmer music from the Klezmatics, electronic transformations of Afro-Cuban Yoruba incantations by Ìfé and Moroccan Sufi trance music from Innov Gnawa.

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