Angélique Kidjo from Benin has changed from the femme fatale of Afro-Funk to the new Mama Africa as successor to Miriam Makeba. In the Australian premiere of her latest project, she remains unpredictable: transforming the iconic Talking Heads album Remain in Light. Angélique chats with Eastside’s Matt McMahon during his show Blow on the 7th of March 2019 about her new album and her upcoming performance at the Sydney Opera House for International Women’s Day.

Grammy Award winner Angélique Kidjo is now one of the world’s leading artists, with thirteen stunning albums to her credit. Considered “the only African diva” by Time Magazine, she is a true performer whose striking voice, stage presence and willingness to experiment have earned the respect of her peers. Angélique will be performing at the Sydney Opera House for International Women’s Day on the 8th of March 2019.

Over the course of her career, Kidjo has successfully brought together the traditional sounds of her childhood in Benin with the RnB, funk, jazz and more.

At the Sydney Opera house she will present the Australian premiere of her latest project; the reinvention of Talking Heads’ classic 1980 album, Remain in Light. Recorded with the superstar producer Jeff Bhasker (Kanye West, Jay Z, Drake, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift), Kidjo’s powerful reimagining of tracks such as ‘Once in a Lifetime’ and ‘Born Under Punches’, picking up on the original’s Afrobeat undertones, has been described as “Visionary…illustrates Kidjo’s grand majesty” – NPR Music

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