Many Beats to Get Vermonters on Their Feet in April - Get Set to Dance with Angélique Kidjo, the Premier Diva of Africa!

Posted on April 20, 2011

This article originally appeared in Vermont Woman, April/May 2011.

Many Beats to Get Vermonters on Their Feet in April - Get Set to Dance with Angélique Kidjo, the Premier Diva of Africa!

By Margaret Michniewicz

On United Nations Day of 2009, at an event dedicated specifically to U.N. Peacekeepers, members of the General Assembly were urged out of their seats by the charismatic performer Angélique Kidjo. Initially, perhaps each delegate was debating the propriety of such an action - but soon the body was on its feet as one, many clapping to the rhythmic beat filling the hall, some high-fiving or embracing Kidjo as she wended her way through the aisles, all the while ebulliently belting out the song "Afirika," enjoining them to sing, too.

It was a moment that encapsulated the essence of Kidjo's career. Since first hitting the world stage, three decades ago, Kidjo has inspired people to action all over the globe - from invitations to audiences to join her in dance on stage, to exhortations to fans and world leaders to support the numerous humanitarian causes to which she has directed personal energy, prestige, and resources. She has been dubbed "Africa's premier diva" by Time magazine - yet any idea that this implies a capricious, merely glamorous star needs to be dismissed immediately. Granted, Kidjo cuts a striking figure with her chic, closely cropped coif, enhanced by a stage presence truly worthy of such a majestic sobriquet as "diva." But the passion of her performances is equal to the vehemence with which she speaks out on the world's pressing issues - whether environmental concerns or poverty. In particular, this singer gives voice to the plight of young girls in Africa, and she created the Batonga Foundation, the mission of which is to provide educational aid to African girls. Earlier this year, for International Women's Day, the Guardian (U.K.) newspaper named Kidjo among its 100 Most Influential Women, citing such philanthropic endeavors as well as her consistent outspokenness on political matters and human rights injustices.

Kidjo, 50, who will perform in Burlington in late April, possesses a musical style all her own that reverently embraces the traditional songs of her native Benin but that encompasses funk, samba and R&B as well, all performed in a high-energy, fun-loving style that electrifies audiences the world over.

She was born and raised in Benin (formerly Dahomey), but has been living in exile since the early 1980s, first in Paris and now in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Grammy Award-winning singer was born just a few weeks before her country won its independence from France. In an August 2010 New York Times article she penned titled "Daughter of Independence," she began: "Like a true revolutionary, I was born on Bastille Day (July 14), 1960, in Dahomey, which was then a part of the French Empire in West Africa. A few days later, on August 1st... my country was declared independent: I was French for just 18 days!... I feel that my life has been shaped in many ways by the political tribulations of West Africa."

Kidjo ultimately fled her home country to break free of the artistic constraints she felt under the ideology of the Marxist regime that had come to power in 1972. Determined to maintain her independence, Kidjo decided to go into exile in the early 1980s. Fearing that the authorities would learn of her plans, she told only a few family members of her intentions. She sneaked out from a relative's wedding and went to the airport. There, a sympathetic customs officer, a fan of her music, turned a blind eye and let her pass.

Once in France, for six years she had no contact with her family, who were under surveillance. It was nearly a decade and a half later, after the old regime had fallen and a degree of stability had returned, that she went back to play a concert in her homeland.

"My exile has also brought me much success. Who could have guessed that a little girl with nine brothers and sisters from one of the poorest countries in the world would win a Grammy or sing at Carnegie Hall?" Kidjo wrote in "Daughter of Independence," in which she continues:
"My dream is to see every little girl in Benin have the chance I had right after independence: access to a great and sustained education. It has allowed me to accomplish all of my aspirations: sharing with the world the beauty of my culture and my people. Today's Beninese girls should be given the same opportunity... making sure girls can pursue their secondary educations in a safe environment instead of getting married at an early age. If we can accomplish all of this, we will have brought to Africa a change as revolutionary as what happened in Paris on that day, July 14th, 1789!"

In addition to her Batonga Foundation project, Kidjo has lent her visibility in support of other humanitarian endeavors, such as UNICEF (for which she is a Goodwill Ambassador). Since 2009, she has been involved in the campaign to eliminate tetanus. (Readers who might wish to support this effort should know that a portion of the proceeds for downloads of the song "You Can Count On Me" from Kidjo's new album Oyo will be steered toward providing tetanus vaccines to pregnant women and mothers.)

Kidjo is a luminary with whom other renowned global artists enthusiastically collaborate when she calls - among them Carlos Santana, Peter Gabriel, Alicia Keys, Branford Marsalis, Bono, John Legend, Gilberto Gil, and Roy Hargrove.

Kidjo will come to Burlington most likely jazzed to perform songs drawing from her entire discography, albums characterized by this artist's penchant for crisscrossing boundaries and blending traditional dance rhythms with funk, pop and Latin melodies. This tour will have special emphasis, however, on her most recent release - the widely acclaimed Oyo, touted by many as her masterpiece.

Reviewers have spared no superlatives in describing Kidjo's current tour, backed by a tight band of Western and African musicians (drummer Daniel Freedman, guitarist Dominic James, bassist Andre Manga, and Senegalese drummer Magatte Sow) in support of Oyo (released in 2010) - a joyous exploration of the diverse African, American and European music that has meant the most to her since she began singing as a child five decades ago in the small coastal city of Quidah - including Beninese traditional music and great African artists like Miriam Makeba, as well as such African-American icons as Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, Jimi Hendrix and James Brown. "Kidjo's voice has never sounded more expressive or exquisitely nuanced," according to The Times of London. Kidjo sings in French, English and multiple African languages.

While on tour in India last month, Ms. Kidjo responded by e-mail to our questions.

Vermont Woman: The issue in which this article will appear will also have a heavy environmental focus, which is one of the efforts you lend your support to. Would you care to comment about the planet and environmental concerns?
Angélique Kidjo: When I was pregnant with my daughter (who [has] just turned 18), I realized one day how much garbage we are throwing out every day and suddenly, I felt concerned about the state of the world in which we are bringing up our children. Since then I have been involved in many campaigns. Also, environment is a big concern on my continent of Africa. The progress of the West has produced a lot of pollution. How can we get the same development without destroying our world?

VW: In your music you are described as "roving beyond the constraints of boundaries, genres, and ethnicities"; how then do you go about honing and narrowing the scope for each album as you approach it?
AK: I always try to find an idea behind each album. For instance, I have done a trilogy of albums about the African roots of the music of the diaspora. My last album (Oyo) is a look at the music that influenced my childhood. I still feel there is a unity in my music, in my songs, though it is true there are many different influences.

VW: Your rendition of Curtis Mayfield's "Move on Up" has been said to be ‘a call to African youth to direct the fate of the continent' - what are your hopes as to what future generations will address and accomplish?
AK: I know that the African youth are very positive and full of energy. I just wish they [could] have the access to education they need, and they will be able to accomplish so much.

VW: Among the artists you've paid homage to on Oyo is Aretha Franklin; in light of the recent news of her health concerns, tell us about including "Baby I Love You" on the record as it relates to your objectives for the album as a whole.
AK: I love Aretha Franklin. Her energy was very inspiring for me when I grew up in Benin. She is so assertive in her singing. All the songs from Oyo played a role in my musical education. From Bollywood to the traditional songs from West Africa. The album is a tribute to my dad for allowing me to discover such a broad range of style. Every song on that album has a little story. There is even the first song I ever sang in public at age six.

VW: Describe Miriam Makeba's influence on you.
AK: It was so hard to be a child singer in Benin because people don't take you seriously. Being a singer didn't bring respect. Seeing the success of Miriam gave me the courage to stand against every odd. If she was able to be a successful singer traveling the world, I felt I also could do it...

VW: Who will be in your lineup of backup musicians?
AK: My musicians [are] from all over the world. My guitar player and percussionist are from Africa, my bass player is from the West Indies, and my drummer is from New York!

VW: A question submitted by one of our readers is - How do you balance your career and family?
AK: This is a complicated question. I am lucky in the way my husband and my daughter share the same passion for music so even though we are not always together, music is a strong tie in our family.

VW: Among the many wonderful quotes you have from family members is your father's admonition: "If you're not curious, you die stupid." Is there anything you wonder/want to know about Vermonters?
AK: I have been to Vermont before so I know more about it than you may think! My pride is to make the people from Burlington discover just a glimpse of the beauty and richness of African culture during my concert. Maybe it will inspire them to travel and go to Africa.

VW: Indeed, people here in Vermont recall a show you did years back in a small, intimate club venue and that you entered the crowd, dancing, and welcomed anyone to sing the chorus into your mic; and your recent performances in India culminated with much of the crowd up on stage with you; and you've brought the United Nations to their feet... And (paraphrasing for brevity) you've said that everywhere you go in the world you want people to remember they are human beings and to have fun... So as a result: what expectations can the Flynn audience (and perhaps the security crew!) have about your upcoming show there?
AK: The media tends to make you believe that we are culturally very different people, but my experience traveling all over the world so many times is that we are one humanity that share a lot in common. So I expect the reaction of the people in Vermont to be the same as the one in Mumbai! I don't need a big security crew because I am lucky to know that the people going to my concerts are not violent and hateful.

VW: Are you currently optimistic or fearful for our world/planet today?
AK: Yes, I am optimistic because humanity has accomplished so much. It just can't stop here. We have overcome slavery and Nazism, so we should be able to stand up to the challenges of today. The message that the African continent can bring to the rest of the world is this sense of resilience and joy in front of adversity... Every person who has set foot in Africa knows how beautiful and strong its people are.

Editor's Note: Be sure to view this clip of Angélique Kidjo from the 2010 Women's Forum for the Economy & Society: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74uU0qzOkI

And a note from Angélique Kidjo: For those who'd like to support education in Benin and other African countries, I support the following organizations: UNICEF and the Batonga Foundation(which gives girls scholarships for secondary education in Benin and four other countries in Africa). For more information about Angélique Kidjo: www.kidjo.com.

Buy tickets to Angélique Kidjo's April 29 performance at the Flynn.