Photo: Library of Congress Life / CC0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Angelique Kidjo moves me more than almost any artist in this batch. Emerging from Ouidah in Benin, a town scarred by the slave trade, she carried African rhythm to the center of the global stage and won five Grammys doing it. What impresses me is not just the trophies but the breadth of her collaborators, from Alicia Keys to Yo-Yo Ma, and her insistence that African music belongs everywhere, not in a niche. Becoming the first Black African with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star is a milestone that speaks to decades of barrier-breaking. To me she is a bridge-builder whose voice carries history.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Angelique Kidjo
- Name (Japanese)
- アンジェリーク・キジョー
- Reading
- あんじぇりーく・きじょー
- Born
- July 14, 1960 (age 65)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Rat
- Origin
- Ouidah, Atlantique Department, Benin
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- singer / composer / jazz singer / writer / choreographer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 2011 Champions of the Earth
- 2016 Ambassador of Conscience Award
- 2018 OkayAfrica 100 Women
- 2008 Commander of the National Order of Benin
- 1995 Danish Music Awards
- 2002 MOBO Awards
- 2008 Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album
- 2015 Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Angelique Kidjo born?
Born July 14, 1960 (age 65).
Where is Angelique Kidjo from?
Angelique Kidjo is from Ouidah, Atlantique Department, Benin.
What does Angelique Kidjo do?
Angelique Kidjo works as singer, composer, jazz singer, writer, choreographer.
Singer — see all → · Composer — see all →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.