大象传媒

Ang茅lique Kidjo, 'the undisputed queen of African music' and three-time Grammy Award-winner, makes her Proms debut performing new versions of songs made famous by the celebrated Cuban singer Celia Cruz.

Tracklist:
Baila Yemaya
Cucala
Sahara
Quimbara
Toro Mata
La Vida es un Carnaval
Oya Diosa
Once in a Lifetime
Afirika

Kidjo grew up in Benin, West Africa, listening to Cruz's salsa and found it an important inspiration. She later discovered that some of Cruz's tracks were influenced by traditional Yoruba music which migrated from West Africa to the Caribbean with slave workers. In 2019 Kidjo re-imagined Cruz's tracks for the 21st century, adding new layers of African rhythms and musical colours. The resulting vibrant sounds, combined with Kidjo's irrepressible stage presence, made for a rare sight in the Royal Albert Hall: most of the audience danced throughout the show, not just the people in the promenade by the stage but also those in the stalls, loggia boxes and the gallery.

Joining 大象传媒 Radio 3's Georgia Mann to introduce the concert is Beninese journalist Laeila Adjovi.

(Photo: Angelique Kidjo with members of the Proms audience. Credit: 大象传媒/Mark Allan)