Angélique Kidjo

Norah Jones (0:00)

This episode is also available as video on YouTube. You can visit Norah Jones' channel and be sure to subscribe while you're there. Hi, I'm Norah Jones, and today I'm playing along with Angélique Kidjo.

Hi, I'm Norah, and this is Sarah Oda.

Sarah Oda (0:28)

Welcome to the show. Today we have Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, performer, and activist Angélique Kidjo.

Over her career, she's collaborated with artists including Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, John Legend, Yo-Yo Ma, Sting, many others. And her latest album, Hope, came out in 2026 and features guest artists like Thorell Williams, Charlie Wilson, and Nile Rodgers. She's just like one of these performers who brings joy to the stage. I feel like whatever her performance, recording, she's just a joyful person.

Norah Jones (1:03)

Yeah, she's got such good and infectious energy. It's just so fun to just hang out and watch her go, you know?

Sarah Oda (1:13)

And her music is sort of genuinely joyful as well. Yeah. She's also the founder of the Batanga Foundation, which supports education, leadership, economic opportunities for girls and young women in Africa. So you're going to hear about that. You're going to hear about her background. You're going to hear about her family life and some of the big personalities in her family, which maybe contributes to who she is. Yes.

Stay tuned. It's a good one.

Norah Jones (1:37)

Please enjoy Angélique Kidjo. So you can't live without the stage?

Angélique Kidjo (1:56)

No.

I was born on singing, and I was on stage when I was six. Really? My mom throw me on that stage because she has the largest theater troupe that ever existed till today in West Africa.

Norah Jones (2:12)

Wow.

Angélique Kidjo (2:12)

So I will spend my time when they are rehearsing, like knowing all the lines, all the songs, and I will say, no, that's not right. No, that's not right. She said, shh, let us work here. And I will tell her, why can't I play with the little girl in your play? I want to be that little girl. I know the song. I can sing the song.

And the day the little girl couldn't sing, I was mingling with the costume, and I was sniffing. I mean, I was like, I want to know the nitty-gritty of everything. And then I felt somebody grabbing my ankle and dragging me from under the costume.

And go, you're going on stage? I said, no, I'm not. She put the costume on me.

SPEAKER_4 (2:52)

And I was like, hmm?

Angélique Kidjo (2:54)

I was in total panic, but I walked in on the stage, and I have a spotlight right on my face. I couldn't see anything. So I said, oh, the public is not here. I'm going to do as I do. I'm going to pretend I am the star on the stage. And I sang, oh, yeah, it's a hoonie, and I start singing.

SPEAKER_4 (3:12)

People are like, what?

Angélique Kidjo (3:14)

What is this? I finished singing, here I am.

Walk out and then standing ovation. And my mom say, you got to go back. I say, hell no. I'm going back. I didn't know people were there.

Sarah Oda (3:27)

That's for the whole time.

Angélique Kidjo (3:28)

That's why.

Norah Jones (3:30)

So when they started clapping, they scared you.

Angélique Kidjo (3:32)

Scared the heck out of me. I'm like, I've been stupid on stage doing all my, because I've been singing and doing all this clowny stuff and make everybody laugh. And I just make a fool out of myself. Right. And I'm like, go back.

They're clapping for you. I say, no mom, I can't go back. And the next morning I woke up, I went to my mom and I say, it feels so good. Right?

SPEAKER_5 (3:56)

Look at me, I say, you telling me now, what am I going to do about it?

Angélique Kidjo (4:01)

So that's how I start.

Norah Jones (4:02)

Wow.

Angélique Kidjo (4:03)

And I never stop.

Norah Jones (4:04)

You never stopped.

Angélique Kidjo (4:06)

I was living with my brothers, they have a music group too.

My brother, older brother played the guitar, the organ, fafisa, one of all those stuff. And I was like, wow, what is that drum? I saw a drum kit like that. I say, how many people play on it? And there's only one person. I say, that person have to be crazy. How many arms and legs do you have to play all these drums?

SPEAKER_5 (4:28)

And they say, it's only one person.

Angélique Kidjo (4:30)

So I have been very intrigued by music since I was a little girl, pretty much.