The musical joys of Kidjo

West African world music legendary diva returns to Toronto

Harbourfront has made a superb choice in selecting Angelique Kidjo to headline one of their Pier Parties. At her gig on June 19th, she will serenade the crowd with her signature combination of passionate vocals, irresistible rhythms and a powerful stage presence that has made her one of the most in-demand world music artists of the past decade.
Expect her set to feature plenty of the material from Kidjo's acclaimed new album, Oyaya! The title is the word for 'joy' in Yoruba, the native tongue of the Benin-born songstress. The album can be viewed as the final part of a trilogy of records that have traced the journey of African musical traditions across the Atlantic. The previous two, Oremi and Black Ivory Soul respectively explored American and Brazilian styles.
On Oyaya!, it is time for her musical tour of the Caribbean. In an astonishing achievement, Angelique and husband Jean Hebrail penned 13 original compositions written in the idioms of that region. Styles covered include salsa, meringue, calypso, zouk, and ska, and the tunes are sung in English, French, and the African languages of Yoruba and Fon.
Some artists spend entire careers within one style, so this project was clearly a demanding one, but one Kidjo pulled off with seeming ease.
"It is a hell of a lot of work, but I like to challenge myself," she said in our recent interview. "What kept me going was to find a rhythmic connection to a music form back in Africa."
Some of her research was done on the spot. "I went to the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Bermuda and Cuba. Meeting some of the old musicians in Cuba gave me strength and inspiration. They make you realize that music is really the thread of the memory of humankind." Eighty-seven-year-old French-Caribbean Jazz singer Henri Salvador sings a duet with Angelique on "Le Monde Comme Un Bebe."
Playing a key role in the artistic success of Oyaya! were co-producers Steve Berlin and Alberto Salas. Berlin is known for his work with Los Lobos and Crash Test Dummies, and Kidjo loved working with them.
"I loved it at their studio. It was recorded live. I rehearsed with the musicians, then the arranger, Alberto, would come in, write the score and give it to everybody. Alberto is half Cuban, half Costa Rican, and he is very gifted. He treated the songs as they were on the demo, and he treated them like a beautiful girl."
Over the course of a career that now spans eight albums and has earned her three Grammy nominations, Kidjo (now in her early 40s) has tackled an astonishing range of musical styles, from African to Brazilian, Caribbean to r 'n b, funk and jazz. "I don't believe in categories, even the world music category," she declares. "I am just a human being, just let me be."
She has zero tolerance for those musical purists/snobs who believe she should only sing the music of her homeland. "First of all, the word purist already scares the heck out of me. They know nothing about the traditional music that comes from Africa. The traditional music has to be modern in order to survive the time, because people evolve. It is not by the people of 200 years ago. If they want to be pure, they can go and sleep together with Hitler! I don't believe that anything in the world is pure. Nature is not pure."
Her musical peers have always rallied in support of Kidjo. She has toured, collaborated and recorded with such stars as Carlos Santana, Cassandra Wilson, Gilberto Gil, and Dave Matthews. A duet with Matthews, "Iwoya," appeared on Black Ivory Soul, and that helped expand her North American audience.
"Those artists are talented enough to enter into my world and vice versa," Angelique explains. "They give me hope in his crazy business. I don't care about sales numbers. I have fans all over the world, and I can have fun and bring them positivity, strength, love and care with my music."
Kidjo spreads positivity in her other important role, as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. "I have always wanted to do something of social value, and I once studied to become a human rights lawyer. UNICEF have the infrastructure, and I can help with my voice and my music to help bring awareness. I can talk to the women in Africa about education and many issues."
Oyaya! is now out on Sony Music. Angelique Kidjo performs at Harbourfront on June 19.

Publication Date: 2004-06-06
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=4047