Angelique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo known as Angelique Kidjo is a Beninese-French Singer and songwriter. She is an Actress and also an Activists. Although she is from Benin Republic, she said she is a Nigerian from Iseyin, Oyo State. According to the report written by Ekaete Bassey in the Nation Newspaper on January 5 2023, Angelique made this known in an interview with smooth FM 98.1 in Lagos. She said her mother who worked as a choreographer and theater director revealed it to her. she said she has lots of relatives across Nigeria who she had not seen. Angelique said when her Grandfather’s great, Great, Great, Great father came back from Brazil they found their roots in Iseyin but have always been a Nigerian from her mother’s side with families in Abeokuta, Ibadan, Lagos and everywhere.

Angelique Kidjo was born 14th July 1960 in Quidahn, Benin. Her Father is from Fon. She was born into a family of performing artists. Her father was a Musician, and her Mother worked as a Choreographer and theatre director. She grew up listening to Yoruba and Beninese traditional music. By the time she was 6 she was performing with her mother’s theatre troupe. She started singing in her school band, Les Sphinx and was successful as a teenager with her adaptation of Miriam Makeba’s Les Trois Z which was played on National radio. The Success of her album Pretty with the Cameroonian producer Ekambi Brilliant and her brother Oscar made her to tour all over West Africa. The Political Conflict in her country led her to relocate to Paris in 1983 but she started her musical career in in1982 has lots of awards including Five Grammy awards and recognitions, including the Polar Music Prize Laurette. She performed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games opening ceremony. On September 15, 2021 TIME included her in their list of 100 most influential people in the world. She speaks five languages Fon, French,Yoruba,Gen and English and sings in all of them.

She is married to Jean Hebrail in 198 and she 7 and has a daughter Naima who was born in 1993.

Culled from the NATION and WIKIPEDIA.