Angelique Kidjo at The Rio Theatre

Angélique Kidjo has a tremendous voice — bold, energetic, clear — and equally strong social commitment. A true transnational artist, Kidjo’s African roots reflect brightly throughout her music. Heavily influenced by South African legend Miriam Makeba, Kidjo also absorbed the influences of the American popular artists from her youth, such as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Jimi Hendrix. In the ’80s, she was among a new wave of African performers blending the pop music influences of the West with traditional African forms. The creative result was a revitalized world music, both entertaining and socially conscious...

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Angélique Kidjo has a tremendous voice — bold, energetic, clear — and equally strong social commitment. A true transnational artist, Kidjo’s African roots reflect brightly throughout her music. Heavily influenced by South African legend Miriam Makeba, Kidjo also absorbed the influences of the American popular artists from her youth, such as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Jimi Hendrix. In the ’80s, she was among a new wave of African performers blending the pop music influences of the West with traditional African forms. The creative result was a revitalized world music, both entertaining and socially conscious. Her latest recording, Eve, exhibits her pride and love for her native country Benin, located in West Africa. Eve itself is an album named after her mother, and dedicated to the women of Africa, specifically the experience of being an African woman.

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