Angelique Kidjo Wins 3rd World Music Grammy For "Sings"

Angelique Kidjo, the Benin born singer/songwriter is celebrating the win of her third "Best World Music Album" Grammy Award for her 429 Records album Sings.  It's the artist's second consecutive win in that category as her 2014 album Eve won last year.  Produced by Kidjo and long-time production partner Jean Hebrail, Sings showcases Kidjo's collaboration with the 110 piece Orchestre Philharmonique Du Luxembourg, led by renowned conductor and composer Gast Waltzing.  Kidjo reimagines nine classic songs from her 24 year repertoire and two new songs ("Otishe" and "Mamae" from the Eve sessions), blending European classical traditions with the powerful rhythmic sounds of her native West Africa. Along with the orchestra, Kidjo's additional players include Christian McBride and Massimo Biolcati on upright basses; Lionel Loueke, Dominic James and David Laborier on guitars; Magatte Sow, Crespin Tpikiti and Benoit Avihoue on percussion; Tuelo Kgobokoe Tsholofetso and Mokubung, background vocals; and Gast Waltzing, flugelhorn solo on "Samba Pa Ti."  Angelique Kidjo's Sings was released on 429 Records.                  

Kidjo's accolades includes a more than 20 year discography, three Grammy Awards, thousands of concerts around the world and being named "Africa's premier diva" (Time Magazine) and "the undisputed Queen of African Music" (Daily Telegraph). In addition to winning the Grammy for Sings, Kidjo's 2014 recording for Eve and her 2008 recording Djin Djin won Grammys for Best Contemporary World Music Album. Her studio recording Oyo was nominated in the same category. She has enjoyed a long history of notable collaborations with greats from the jazz and pop worlds—including Carlos Santana, Bono, John Legend, Josh Groban, Peter Gabriel, Branford Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Roy Hargrove and Alicia Keys. In an expansive career marked as much by extraordinary musical achievement as passionate advocacy and philanthropy for her homeland of Africa, Angelique Kidjo has found many ways to celebrate the rich, enlightening truth about the continent's women beyond the media spotlight.        

Says Kidjo: "The orchestra brings different textures to my life and music. Unlike in pop music, the orchestra doesn't follow you, it leads and dares you to follow it. If you don't do this successfully, the songs suffer and the communication is lost. But I love the challenge of doing new things. I never want to get too comfortable with what I'm doing, and I love my work too much to repeat myself."