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Africa Rising: Angelique Kidjo at Town Hall NYC
Angelique Kidjo
vocalsb.1960

Dianne Reeves
vocalsb.1956

Aretha Franklin
vocals1942 - 2018
The show at Town Hall proved yet another example of the time-tested jazz adage that a recording can never be a substitute for music created in the moment. And it was a testament to the awesomeness that is Kidjo = 8349. As she said at the beginning of the show, "Don't be fooled by the comfortable seats. My music is made for you to get up."
Sure, she's got all-time pipes, but what separates Kidjo from the rest of the pack is the way she truly feels her music. Every song has a back story, a special place in her heart, and Kidjo is able to present even the most familiar songs with a clarity that allows the audience to grasp a song's meaning personally in addition to its meaning to the singer. And such feeling allows her to synthesize all the different types of music she loves into her own special gumbo. Make no mistake, Angelique Kidjo is a true original, and she's out to make you believe.
Growing up in Benin, Kidjo was exposed to music from every corner of the world, from

James Brown
vocals1933 - 2006

Sidney Bechet
saxophone, soprano1897 - 1959
At Town Hall, Kidjo went through a series of tunes from Oyo, as well as other songs in the same vein. "Zelie" and

Miriam Makeba
vocals1932 - 2008
The backing band provided characteristic professional support, at times even stealing the spotlight. Drummer

Daniel Freedman
drumsToward the end of the show, Kidjo invited audience members on stage to dance with her as she closed the show. What followed was an all-out rave-up in which audience members, male and female, black and white, senior citizens and small children, engaged in a game of old school one-upsmanship. Kidjo showed her generous spirit by dancing with two little girls who couldn't have been more than 8 years old, as their proud father looked ona memorable moment that showed her character. She is trying to solve the world's problems, one child at a time. It's a good kind of Ponzi scheme; if she can inform the people at her shows, then they can inform their friends, and so on.
Fittingly, the show closed with "Baby I Love You," a thank you from Kidjo to her diverse group of fans. Angelique Kidjo is a new kind of pop divaone worthy of being written about on a jazz website. She is real, she is unique, she is educated and informed, and as she made exceedingly clear at Town Hall, she will be around for a long time to come.
Tags
Angelique Kidjo
Live Reviews
David Miller
United States
New York
New York City
Dianne Reeves
Aretha Franklin
James Brown
Sidney Bechet
Miriam Makeba
Daniel Freedman
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Angelique Kidjo Concerts
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Angélique Kidjo And Alexandre Tharaud
Ronnie Scott'sLondon, UK
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