I must say the year couldn’t have a better start musically. It began with the return of Sade with her 6th studio album due for release in February and now Angelique Kidjo is set to release her her next studio album titled “OYO’ in February 9th.
Angelique Kidjo
Kidjo is said to have returned back to her roots during the recording of “OYO“, by interpreting the music that inspired her whilst growing up in Benin, music that was instrumental in her artistic formation. The first thing one will hear at the out seat of the album is her breathtaking voice, long-sustaining the first word of “Zelie,” a song by Bella Bellow from Togo. The are various African songs that can be heard, including “Lakutshn Llanga,” a lullaby made famous by the late Mama Miriam Makeba, and the Beninese traditional son “Atcha Houn.”
Although “OYO” is primarily comprised of covers, many of the tracks reveal the prevalence of American soul and funk in the port city of Cotonou, where Kidjo grew up. She collaborated with John Legend and Diana Reeves. “OYO” is recorded and mixed by Russell Elevado and produced by Jean Hebrail.
Come February, the legends are back!