From Burna Boy to Yemi Alade: Angélique Kidjo’s Must-Listen Collaborations with Nigeria’s Superstars

Credit: Angélique Kidjo/Instagram

How would you describe Angélique Kidjo? We’d call her an African music legend, through and through. With 14 Grammy nominations and five wins, and a spot on Time’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world, her journey in music began at the age of six, and she found success as a singer in her teenage years.

Born to a Beninese father and a Nigerian mother, Angélique Kidjo embodies a rich blend of cultures. She speaks and sings in five languages—Fon, French, Yorùbá, Gen (Mina), and English—making her a versatile songwriter, actress, and activist. Her music is a cross-pollination of the West African traditions she grew up with in Benin, combined with elements of American R&B, funk, and jazz, along with influences from Europe and Latin America.

In 2008, she won her first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album with “Djin Djin.” She went on to win Best World Music Album for her twelfth album, “Eve,” in 2015, the same award in 2016 for her album “Sings,” Best Global Music Album for “Mother Nature” in 2022, and Best World Music Album for “Celia” in 2020.

From Tina Turner to John Legend, Angélique Kidjo has a long and impressive list of collaborations with diverse artists. In her second home, Nigeria, she has worked with superstar artists like Burna Boy, Yemi Alade, Davido, and Mr. Eazi.

Let’s take a closer look at her collaborations with these Nigerian music powerhouses:

Burna Boy

Burna Boy’s first collaboration with Angélique Kidjo was on the song “Different,” the 14th track from his 2019 album “African Giant,” which also featured Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley. The album was nominated for Best World Music Album at the 62nd Grammy Awards, where it competed against Angélique Kidjo’s album “Celia,” which ultimately won the award.

In her acceptance speech, Angélique Kidjo dedicated the award to Burna Boy, praising him as one of the young African artists reshaping the global perception of Africa and part of a new generation poised to take the world by storm.

Their second collaboration came in 2021 on Angélique Kidjo’s 2021 album “Mother Nature,“with the track, “Do Yourself. “This song was also nominated for Best Global Music Performance at the 2022 Grammy Awards.

“Different”

“Do Yourself”

Yemi Alade

Yemi Alade and Angélique Kidjo have collaborated not once, not twice, but three times. Their first collaboration was on Yemi Alade’s hit track “Shekere,” the sixth single from her fourth studio album, “Woman of Steel.” “Shekere” is a reimagining of Angélique Kidjo’s 1996 classic hit “Wombo Lombo,” a revamp that the legend herself requested Yemi Alade to undertake.

Their second collaboration was the duet “Dignity,” a tribute to the #EndSARS protesters who called for an end to police brutality in Nigeria. Speaking about the song, Angélique Kidjo said, “Many people think that police brutality only happens in America, but it’s everywhere. This song is against brutality, but it’s also about how we need to treat each other with dignity, treat nature with dignity, and treat ourselves with dignity.”

Their third and most recent collaboration is the track “African Woman,” the 10th song on Yemi Alade’s sixth studio album, “Rebel Queen” released this year.

“Shekere”

“Dignity”

“African Woman”

Davido

Just today, Davido hinted that a new single, “Joy,” by Angélique Kidjo featuring him, is set to drop this Friday, and we are super stoked. This will be their collaboration, following “Na Money,” the 11th track of his record breaking album “Timeless,” which also features The Cavemen.

“Na Money”

Mr. Eazi

Their first collaboration, “Africa, One of A Kind,” is the third track on Angélique kidjo’s album, “Mother Nature.” This song, which samples Salif Keita’s iconic “Africa,” features both Mr. Eazi and Salif Keita as guest artists.

In their second collaboration, “Òròkórò,” Mr. Eazi incorporates the hook from Angélique kidjo’s ’90s hit “Wombo Lombo” and features the legend herself. Mr. Eazi explains that the track was recorded between Kokrobite, Ghana, and Ouidah, Benin—Angélique Kidjo’s hometown.

“Africa, One of A Kind”

“Òròkórò”