Angélique Kidjo has teamed up with producer Jeff Bhasker (Kanye West, Beyoncé) for her new album Remain in Light, released on 8th June via Kravenworks Records.
The Benin-born artist, and 3-time Grammy winner, has recorded a track-by-track reimagination of of Talking Heads’ classic 1980 album. The landmark album was deeply influenced by music from West Africa.
With her version, Kidjo celebrates the original album but puts her own spin on it injecting it with her euphoric singing, explosive percussion, horn orchestrations, and select lyrics performed in languages from her home country.
[brid video=”230895″ player=”531″ title=”Angelique Kidjo “Born Under Punches” Remain In Light”]
“As Remain In Light was influenced by the music of my continent, I want to pay back the homage and create my own African take on Talking Heads’ songs,” says Kidjo. “We all know that rock music came from the blues and thus from Africa. Now is the time to bring rock back to Africa, connect our minds, and bring all our sounds to a new level of sharing and understanding.”
Remain in Light features appearances by Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend, Blood Orange, Tony Allen, Antibalas Horns, Kidjo’s longtime guitarist Dominic James, and Magatte Sow (percussionist for the Black Panther film score). The album artwork is a collaboration with visual artist Kerry James Marshall.
In support of the record Kidjo will be touring extensively this Spring and Summer. You can catch her at the following dates:
May 2nd – Seattle, WA – Benaroya Hall*
May 4th – Berkeley, CA – The UC Theatre*
May 5th – Los Angeles, CA – The Theatre at Ace Hotel*
June 1st – Warzberg, Germany – Africa Festival, Talavera Mainwisen
June 8th – London, UK – Royal Festival Hall*
July 11th – Arles, Fr – Theatre Antique
July 26th – Vic-Fezensac, Fr – Tempo Latino CC%
July 28th – Katonah, NY – Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts
August 6th – Highland Park, IL – Ravinia*
August 7th – Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap*
August 9th – Denver, CO – Denver Botanic Gardens*
* – ‘Remain in Light’ performance
# – Solo shows with the Brittany Symphony
% – “Angélique Kidjo’s Tribute to Salsa” performance
