West African Kidjo to launch tour from Finney stage

Oberlin continues its tradition of bringing exciting and innovative artists to campus by welcoming Angelique Kidjo to the stage of Finney Chapel this Friday night.

This performance will launch Kidjo's two month-long North American tour. She is touring to support her new album Oremi, which was released in June.

Oberlin is first on the tour dates for a simple reason. "Oberlin people asked for me first," Kidjo explained. This simple honesty seems to pervade Kidjo's life and music. Kidjo was born in Benin, a country in the Western part of Africa. Growing up during the 1970s, she was greatly influenced by the artists and passion of this time, even those musicians popular in America. "People related to that music, lived that music," she said of the era. Kidjo's own music delicately combines the influences of her childhood, while staying true to her West African heritage.

Kidjo thinks music today has become very commercial. Her music seems to be in part an effort to get past that commercialism. 'My culture has no studio. We play music for the pleasure of listening," Kidjo said.

Another aspect of music Kidjo appreciates is its multiplicity of meaning. "A song you wrote in your living room has another life [outside of it] , but you still maintain your own identity." Kidjo said it's a way for her to reach out and share something with the world.

Kidjo combines many different styles and influences in her music, and in so doing hopes to unite people. Kidjo believes all people have a universal common ground and said she hopes to expose that in her music.

Next to her passion for music is Kidjo's passion to perform. She grew up in a family of artists; her mother was a theater producer and choreographer while her father ran a photography studio.

The family influence led Kidjo to her first performance when she was just six years old. One would think she would have tired of it by now, but Kidjo is still passionate. "I love to perform. It's the best part of my life," she said.

Kidjo had some final advice for her audience: "Give me the opportunity to bring you my world, and don't feel bad if you don't understand. Let your bodies and soul follow my music," she said. "Simply be a human being without always having to explain everything."

Angelique Kidjo will perform in Finney Chapel tonight at 8 p.m.

A born performer: Angelique Kidjo comes to Oberlin today. (photo courtesy Island Records)