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

September 18, 2025 by gabriela anco

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.

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

April 09, 2025 by gabriela anco

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.

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

March 12, 2025 by gabriela anco

"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."

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

February 07, 2025 by gabriela anco

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.

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

February 04, 2025 by gabriela anco

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.

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 →

January 16, 2025 by gabriela anco

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.

Okay Africa : Four Decades Later, Angélique Kidjo is Still Raising the Bar →

December 02, 2024 by gabriela anco

Angélique Kidjo’s influence on the African music scene is immeasurable. Her exceptional artistry and astute showmanship have resulted in a career that stands alongside the greats of this century — and yet, Kidjo isn’t stopping. Forty years in, album after album, the multiple Grammy winner has transformed a dazzling kaleidoscope of influences, keeping in touch with modern sensibilities while reflecting her own long-held standards. OkayAfrica recently met the Beninese French icon at Carnegie Hall in New York City, where we had a conversation that ranged across her glittering career.

Essence : Voices For Change: Amanda Gorman And Angélique Kidjo And Honored At UN Foundation’s We The Peoples Gala(by By Melissa Noel) →

December 01, 2024 by gabriela anco

In a year marked by global challenges, the United Nations Foundation’s 2024 We the Peoples Global Leadership Awards Gala in New York City illuminated the transformative power of leadership and collaboration. Held in the heart of Manhattan on November 21, the event celebrated extraordinary individuals and organizations addressing some of the world’s most pressing issues—from climate change to gender equality. This year’s honorees included National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, Grammy-winning singer Angélique Kidjo and former New Zealand Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Jacinda Ardern.

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

November 13, 2024 by gabriela anco

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.

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

October 29, 2024 by gabriela anco

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.