Born and raised in Benin on Africa's west coast, this artist's extraordinarily fantastic music is a fusion of African polyrhythmic styles reflecting African roots (which includes Brazilian rhythms resulting from the Portuguese colonization of Benin), and Western influences... in which you can also hear strains of Arabic and Caribbean sounds. She speaks 8 languages fluently, but recorded this 1991 album in her native tongues of Swahili and Fon. Her political stance is subtly woven into the lyrics which address issues ranging from censorship to torture. She moved to Paris to study law, but now wages her fight for human rights through her music, which reflects a broadening multi-culturalism. Includes the dance hit Batonga... a beautiful version of one of the most famous traditional African songs, Malaika... Great voice, great rhythm, terrific for movement and dance, very highly recommended! Buy this!!

Kidjo,Angelique