Angelique seize the day
Last year Angelique Kidjo took out the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album for Djin Djin. Next month she’s in Australia for the Byron Bay Blues and Roots Festival plus a special performance at the Sydney Opera House.
Since being discovered in Paris over 15 years ago, the Benin-born singer has released 10 studio albums. Djin Djin, which translates as seize the day, features renowned musical artists such as Alicia Keys, Joss Stone and Josh Groban.
I love writing my own songs and the difference with this album compared to my others is that I wanted to use a full band in the studio and I wanted to bring a percussion player from my country for them to lay the ground of the recording session instead of me trying to make the machine or somebody to replicate the instrument, Kidjo said.
I really didn’t prepare the album to be what it turned out to be. If I did go in the studio with a defined plan then it would not have worked. It came out fine, I guess, from the success it has had and I’m very lucky.
Kidjo is currently working on her 11th album but she says she has a long way to go before anything is set in stone.
Right now I’m in the studio putting ideas out there but I don’t know what is going to come out yet. So far I’ve worked on 10 ideas but it’s after working on 20 or 30 ideas that I can see a direction -” that’s how I function.
After her popular Blues and Roots Festival appearances, she will be accompanied by her eight-piece band for her Opera House debut on April 12 with German-born singer Ayo.
I’m really looking forward to my concert in Sydney. It’s just a great accomplishment to perform at a venue like that, she said.
Festivals bring people from different backgrounds and it’s just a great mixture of people. I will be doing a mixed batch of everything -” I really can’t wait.
info: Tickets for Angelique Kidjo’s Sydney Opera House show start at $49. Bookings on 9250 7777 or online at sydneyoperahouse.com. For more details on her Byron Bay appearance visit bluesfest.com.au.
