Born to a family of artists, Kidjo's path in life was also influenced by the difficulties she encountered in the Beninese educational system as a young girl. After releasing her first album in 1981, she was forced to leave her country to find a new home in Paris, where she later took on singing lead vocals for the band Pili Pili in the second half of that decade. Her level of talent, however, called out for a solo career, leading to her first major international record contract and her 1991 hit album Logozo, which made it to the top of the world music charts. Ever since then, she has been considered one of the great stars of the genre, one who cleverly crosses the richly rhythmic Fon music of her native country with other influences, though her colourful and award-winning oeuvre is capable of diverse nuances. These include Afro-pop dance music, material with more authentic instrumentation, a trilogy of albums exploring her African roots, Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Cuban sounds, a tribute album to Cuba's Celia Cruz, and many others. International stars from the worlds of jazz, soul, and pop gladly collaborate on her songs, and she is just as happy to work with young producers as she is to reimagine a classic Talking Heads album. This great and influential woman - in both musical and human terms - is a must-see!

Presented by: Müpa Budapest