Angélique Kidjo – Celebrating 40 Years | Ruhrtriennale 2024

Five-time Grammy Award winner Angélique Kidjo has brought the soul of Africa to the world in a music career spanning more than 40 years. Whether in her pan-African songs or in her collaborations with numerous international artists such as Sting, Alicia Keys and Carlos Santana, the Benin-born singer has always championed inclusion. In her Mother Nature II concert, Kidjo fuses Cuban salsa, Congolese rumba, soul, jazz and West African musical traditions with modern African pop. Irresistible beats and lively melodies convey important messages about the climate crisis and the fight for freedom. Her vociferous activism is no mere slogan - in her youth, Kidjo actively campaigned against the dictatorship that ruled her home country. As the first African woman to be appointed a UNICEF ambassador, she campaigns for girls' education, against genital mutilation and early marriage. Amnesty International has awarded Kidjo its highest human rights prize for her work against injustice. Reasons enough to celebrate Kidjo's musical legacy and her social influence with a joyful concert at the Ruhrtriennale.