New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ 429 Records) Angelique Kidjo, the Benin born singer/songwriter is celebrating the win last night of her second "Best World
Music Album" Grammy Award for her #1 charting 2014 album Eve, as well as the announcement of her new 429 Records album Sings. 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 will be released on 429 Records March 31st.
Kidjo's accolades include a 20 year discography, two 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 Eve, Kidjo's 2008 recording Djin Djin won a Grammy for Best Contemporary World
Music Album and her last 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."
To preorder Angelique Kidjo's Sings, visit:
iTunes: https://smarturl.it/Sings_ITMS
or Amazon: https://smarturl.it/Kidjo_Sings_AmzP
For more information visit:
www.429records.com
