Angélique Kidjo knew she was on a course to change the world.
She had two choices, be a human rights lawyer or be a singer. She chose the latter.
She found inspiration all around her - in the records of James Brown and Aretha Franklin as much as in the songs of Miriam Makeba and Togolese singer Bella Bellow, whom she idolised.
Add to this Benin’s rich history of traditional rhythms and dance, as well as music like salsa and méringue, which have been incorporated into the country’s modern music.
Logozo encouraged listeners to challenge and change their attitudes towards Africa and its music
At the 2020 Grammy Awards,
Angélique Kidjo did something rather unexpected.
In accepting her award for the Best World Music Album, she dedicated the gong to fellow category contender, Nigerian star
Burna Boy, and used her speech to point to the wave of exciting new African artists storming into the mainstream.
Championing the depth of talent from her home continent, and reconnecting humanity with a shared musical culture, have been part of a campaign Kidjo has led for over three decades.
Hear Logozo on Classic Albums above: In most of the countries in Africa, people don t go that much crazy [about] music and the singing, she explained to RN s The Music Show in 1994.