Angelique Kidjo brings African music to Seoul

By Kwon Mee-yoo

African diva Angelique Kidjo transports the rhythm and sounds of Africa to Seoul in a special performance at the LG Art Center, on March 13.

There are numerous kinds of music across the globe but Kidjo’s is contagious. Her music makes everyone dance and she promises the audience will experience this at her upcoming concert.

Though not well-known in Korea, Kidjo is recognized for her unique style that combines African rhythm with R&B, jazz and pop with a twist of Latin American flavor mixed in. After her debut in the 1980s, Kidjo released several albums, rich with African traditional sounds influenced by other genres.

Her album “Djin Djin” won the 2008 Grammy Awards Best Contemporary World Music Album. The title denotes the sound of a bell in Africa, welcoming each new day.

Her newest album “Oyo” has also been nominated for a Grammy, which will be announced Sunday. The 2010 album mixes traditional African music with soul from the 60s and 70s, suffused with the nostalgia of her childhood in Benin, a small country in Western Africa. U2’s Bono, John Legend, Roy Hargrove have collaborated on the album as well as Beninese guitarist Lionel Loueke.

In June 2010, she sang at the Official Kick-Off Celebration Concert of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, along with John Legend, Hugh Masekela, Shakira, Alicia Keys, Juanes and the Black Eyed Peas.

In her first concert in Korea, the diva will sing songs from “Oyo” and hit songs such as “Agolo,” “Batonga” and “Tumba.” She will be accompanied by drums, guitars and percussion to enrich the performance.

Kidjo’s concert is a part of CoMPAS11, a series of performances at LG Art Center, throughout this year. The program covers everything from classical music such as Belgian baroque ensemble Il Gardellino (Oct. 2) and Akram Khan Company’s dance piece “Vertical Road” (Sept. 30-Oct. 1) to Korean vocalist Lee Ja-ram’s pansori, or traditional Korean narrative song (June 14).

Tickets cost from 30,000 to 70,000 won. Call (02) 2005-0114 for more information.