Angelique Kidjo - Our Woman Crush Wednesday.

The recipient of the prestigious 2015 Crystal Award given by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the 2016 Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience Award, and the 2018 German Sustainability Award, Angelique Kidjo is one the greatest in the world.

As a performer, her striking voice, stage presence, and fluency in multiple cultures and languages have won respect from her peers and expanded her following across national borders. Kidjo has cross-pollinated the West African traditions of her childhood in Benin with elements of American R&B, funk and jazz, as well as influences from Europe and Latin America. 



10 Facts About Angelique Kidjo

- Born in Ouidah, Benin on July 14, 1960, to a Beninese father and a Yoruba mother.

- Studied law in Paris

- She's a four-time Grammy winner.

- She speaks and sings in eight languages, Fon, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Swahili

- Time magazine called her "Africa's premier diva" The Guardian listed her as one of their top 100 inspiring women in the world.

- Angelique was the first woman to be listed on "The 40 most powerful celebrities in Africa" by Forbes magazine.

- She has thirteen albums to her name.

- She is an activist, besides being a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador she started her own Batonga Foundation to help support the education of young African girls.

- She has written a memoir, on Jan. 7, 2014, her autobiography co-written by Rachel Wenwrick, “Spirit Rising: My Life, My Music” was published by Harper Collins. Alicia Keys wrote the foreword, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote the preface. President Bill Clinton, one of Kidjo’s friends, provided a quote for the jacket cover: “The only thing bigger than Angelique Kidjo’s voice is her heart.”

- In 2013, she wrote an open letter to all the girls around the world titled " Don't let others define you"


Listen to one of her many hits - Agolo, below.

Agolo