Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo, A Beninese-French singer-songwriter, actor, and activist known for her wide range of musical inspirations and inventive music videos, popularly known by her stage name Angélique Kidjo, has received the 2023 Polar Music Prize.
Don’t forget that Kidjo has received five Grammy awards. She was referred to as “Africa’s premier diva” by Time magazine in 2007. She was listed among the 100 most influential persons in the world by Time on September 15, 2021.
Kidjo is fluent in five languages: Fon, French, Yorùbá, Gen (Mina), and English. She sings in each of them, she also has her own personal language, which include terms like “Batonga” that are used as song titles.
Kidjo founded Batonga in response to those who believe that girls shouldn’t attend school. She also oversees the Batonga Foundation, which seeks out girls and offers them an education.
Kidjo had to leave her own country because of political turbulence, so she moved to Paris and increased her level of activism.
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