Angélique Kidjo’s artistry personified as a creative legend on ‘Mother Nature’ [Review]

Angélique Kidjo nature personified as a creative legend on ‘Mother Nature’ album.

Six-time Grammy Award winner Angélique Kidjo is one of the greatest artists in the international music community and here she served the world with her 18th studio album titled ‘Mother Nature’ collaborative projects.

Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo, is a Beninese singer-songwriter, actress, and activist who is noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos.

‘Mother Nature’ album is somewhat influenced by Nigerian creatives and antics of the country in the African space, from the top artists to the producers, like Rexxie and Kel P producing some of the important tracks from the album.

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Angélique Kidjo is credited as either composer or producer on 11 songs out of the album’s 13 solid tracks, but in both the studio and her songs, collaboration and community are of utmost importance, passing strong messages with great vocal strength.

She multitalented creatives that speak 5 languages fluently which includes, Fon, Yoruba, French, and English, she calls for women’s autonomy, uplifts an African generation raised on political disappointment, and aspires toward a world that understands the true weight of ubuntu.

Dignity feat. Yemi Alade

On the official single off the album, “Dignity,” Kidjo and Nigerian singer-songwriter Yemi Alade connected so effortlessly and sync with laidback vocal lining singing about the women they’ve become and for the empowerment of women, also praises who raised them, their voices weaving between pop and Afrobeat infused.

arranged peacefully in a call and response between the two, the track hangs on the impassioned refrain, “Respect is reciprocal” as an anthem of female empowerment, the message is understated but resolute.

Africa, One of a Kind feat. Mr Eazi and Salif Keita

On “Africa, One of a Kind,” Nigerian superstar and Banku singer Mr Eazi joins Malian  Grammy Award winner and legendary Salif Keita to reimagine Keita’s 1995 song “Africa.”

Where some write songs to represent area codes or neighbourhoods, Angélique Kidjo, Keita, and Mr Eazi address those who claim allegiance to the entirety or whole of the continent, celebrating a pan-Africanist pride and love that recognizes no borders.

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Do Yourself feat. Burna Boy

However, these cross-generational collaborations give the album much of its power.

On “Do Yourself,” Kidjo cedes room to Nigerian Afrobeat and Grammy Award winner Burna Boy but remains very much present via her excellent vocal riffs, which, depending on the song, can be cries of celebration or shouts of defiance and freedom.

This album, ‘Mother Nature’ serves to remind what makes her such a captivating performer and storyteller; her characteristic and eccentricity add fullness to her work.

Omon Oba

“Omon Oba,” with appearances by Beninese artists Lionel Loueke and Zeynab, takes its old-school feel from Zimbabwean township music pioneered in the early 1930s, and “Take It or Leave It” is unmistakably influenced by the urbane tones of highlife, with an amusingly frank verse courtesy of EarthGang’s Olu.