Since friend of the proGram Angélique Kidjo first burst onto the global scene over four decades ago, her music has provided a powerful transmission of pure unfettered joy. In the last few years alone, the Africa-born artist has amassed a host of accolades proving her immense cultural impact, including winning the 2023 Polar Music Prize, landing on Time’s illustrious 100 Most Influential People list, and taking home a Grammy for Best Global Music Album for 2021’s Mother Nature (a feat that earned her Guinness World Record for most Global Music Album awards won at the Grammys, with five prizes to date). On HOPE!!, Kidjo offers up a revelatory body of work affirming her as a truly essential artist—one whose unbridled joy serves as a unifying force, a conduit for healing, and a much-needed antidote to despair in troubled times. “I started singing when I was six years old, and I’m grateful every day that I still get to live my passion and do what I love with my life,” says Kidjo, who hails from the West African nation of Benin. “With this album I wanted to put some fire back in people’s hearts, and show how much we need that joy and hope to keep our humanity going.” The 18th album in her widely acclaimed discography, HOPE!! pushes forward with the generation-spanning collaborative approach Kidjo previously embraced on Mother Nature—an album that featured a stacked lineup of young artists from genres like Afrobeat, dancehall, and hip-hop. Dedicated to Kidjo’s late mother, HOPE!! emerged from a period shaped by grief and renewal. “My mother used to tell me that hope is the bedrock of our existence,” says Kidjo. As the latest offering in a catalog that’s continually shown the transformative power of music, HOPE!! solidifies Kidjo’s legacy as a visionary artist whose sense of purpose has only grown stronger over time. Angélique also advocates on behalf of children as a UNICEF Ambassador, and has created her own charitable foundation, Batonga, dedicated to support the education of young girls in Africa.
I had the pleasure & honor of catching back up with Angélique Kidjo ahead of the September 17th event in Madison at the UW Memorial Union’s Shannon Hall. We get into what the vibe and the emotion of the event will be like. We dive way into the latest releasee Hope!!. We circle back through the inspiration of the alum, her mom a few times within messages, directions and feelings. It was so interesting to hear the way a few tunes were put into action, how people connect with her and the where it all goes from there moments she reveals. Of course ,as we do, the last time we got together we spoke about many things including the Montessori philosophy, we head right to the humanitarian aspect of who we are. Angélique and I are definitely of the same mind/heart spirt when it comes to how we feel and act on many subjects, far outreaching what the music does for us. She is a hero to me and I am proud to walk side by side with her on anything.
Phot by: Brantley_Gutierrez
