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Jan.9, 2005 -Jan.16, 2005 |
The musical joys of Kidjo
West African world music legendary diva returns to Toronto
By Kerry Doole
Originally Published: 2004-06-06
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.
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