Angélique Kidjo Bonneaventure Carmen is a Beninese singer.
Education
Angélique studied music at the CIM, a reputable jazz school in Paris where she met and married musician and producer Jean Hebrail, with whom she has composed most of her music.
On May 8, 2010, Angelique was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Music by Berklee College.
Career
Her musical influences are pop African Caribbean music, zouk, Congolese rumba, jazz, gospel, and Latin styles. She was also inspired by the artists: Bella Bellow, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Miriam Makeba and Carlos Santana. Kidjo is fluent in Fon, French, Yoruba and English. She sings in four languages. Malaika's song, album Logozo is Swahili. She often uses Zilin vocal technique and Vocalese. Angélique Kidjo was born in Cotonou, Benin. Her father is a Fon Ouidah postmaster and her mother is Yoruba, director of a theater and businesswoman. From the age of six, she joined the theater company of her mother. She began singing in the group The Sphinx. She recorded the album Pretty with the help of her brother and producer Cameroon Ekambi Brilliant. This album contains songs Nineveh, Gbe Agossi. The success of the album allowed his to do a big tour in West Africa. Political conflicts in Benin prevented her from continuing career independently in their own country. She moved to Paris in 1983. Angélique Kidjo studied singing lessons at the CIM, a jazz school in Paris. She met her future husband John Hebrail, a musician and composer, with whom she wrote most of her music. She recorded a solo album, Parakou for the Open Jazz Label.