AngéliqueKidjo(bornonJuly14,1960)isaGrammyAward-winningBeninesesinger,notedforherdiversemusicalinfluencesandcreativemusicvideos.KidjowasborninCotonou,Benin.HerfatherisfromtheFonpeopleofOuidahandhermotherfromtheYorubapeople.ShegrewuplisteningtoJamesBrown,OtisRedding,JimiHendrix,StevieWonder,andSantana.Bythetimeshewassix,Kidjowasperformingwithhermother’stheatretroupe,givingheranearlyappreciationfortraditionalmusicanddance.ShestartedsinginginherschoolbandLesSphinxandfoundsuccessasateenagerwithheradaptationofMiriamMakeba’s“LesTroisZ”whichplayedonnationalradio.SherecordedthealbumPrettywiththeCamerouneseproducerEkambiBrilliantandherbrotherOscar.ItfeaturedthesongsNinive,GbeAgossiandatributetothesingerBellaBellow,oneofherrolemodels.ThesuccessofthealbumallowedhertotouralloverWestAfrica.ContinuingpoliticalconflictsinBeninpreventedherfrombeinganindependentartistinherowncountryandledhertorelocatetoParisin1983.Whileworkingvariousdayjobstopayforhertuition,AngeliquestudiedmusicattheCIM,areputablejazzschoolinPariswhereshemetandmarriedmusicianandproducerJeanHebrailwithwhomshehascomposedmostofhermusic.Shestartedoutasabackupsingerinlocalbands.In1985,shebecamethefrontsingeroftheknownEuro-Africanjazz/rockbandJasperVan’tHof’sPiliPili.ThreePiliPilistudioalbumsfollowed:Jakko(1987)BeInTwoMinds(1988,producedbymarlonklein)andHotelBabo(1990).Bytheendofthe1980s,shehadbecomeoneofthemostpopularliveperformersinParisandrecordedasoloalbumcalledParakoufortheOpenJazzLabel.ShewasthendiscoveredinParisbyIslandRecordsfounderChrisBlackwellwhosignedherin1991.SherecordedfouralbumsforIslanduntilChrisBlackwell’sdeparturefromthelabel.In2000shewassignedinNewYorkbyColumbiaRecordsforwhichsherecordedtwoalbums.Hermusicalinfluencesincludetheafropop,caribbeanzouk,congoleserumba,jazz,gospel,andlatinstylesaswellasherchildhoodidolsBellaBellow,JamesBrown,ArethaFranklin,JimiHendrix,MiriamMakebaandCarlosSantana.ShehasbeenaUNICEFGoodwillAmbassadorsince2002.WithUNICEF,shehastraveledtomanycountriesinAfrica.ReportsonhervisitscanbefoundontheUNICEFsite.KidjofoundedTheBatongaFoundationwhichgivesgirlsasecondaryschoolandhighereducationsotheycantaketheleadinchangingAfrica.Thefoundationisdoingthisbygrantingscholarships,buildingsecondaryschools,increasingenrollment,improvingteachingstandards,providingschoolsupplies,supportingmentorprograms,exploringalternativeeducationmodelsandadvocatingforcommunityawarenessofthevalueofeducationforgirls.ShehascampaignedforOxfamatthe2005HongKongWTOmeeting,forthetheirFairTradeCampaignandtravelledwiththeminNorthKenyaandattheborderofDarfurandChadwithagroupofwomenleadersin2007andparticipatedtothevideofortheInMyNameCampaignwithWillIAmfromTheBlackEyedPeas.ShehashostedtheMoIbrahimFoundation’sPrizeforAchievementinAfricanLeadershipinAlexandria,EgyptonNovember26th,2007andonNovember15th,2008

星座: 巨蟹座

出生日期: 1960年07月14日

职业: 演员 / 配音 / 音乐

更多外文名: Angelique Kidjo

imdb编号: nm0452300