Batonga! How a made-up word guided Ang茅lique Kidjo鈥檚 life
When singer Ang茅lique Kidjo was bullied as a schoolgirl, she made up a word - Batonga! - meaning 鈥淟eave me alone, I'll do what I want.鈥� It became the touchstone of her life.
When singer Ang茅lique Kidjo was bullied as a schoolgirl in Benin, West Africa, she made up a word - Batonga! It meant 鈥淟eave me alone, I'll do what I want.鈥� She's carried that spirit forward into a singing career that's seen her win five Grammy awards, break new musical ground in her own unique mix of European and African styles, and become an activist for the rights of women and girls. Ang茅lique tells Jo Fidgen about growing up in a creative family in Benin; her flight from the communist dictatorship there in the 1980s, and how the ideas Batonga! expresses became the foundation for her activism.
More information about Ang茅lique Kidjo's upcoming tour of Europe and the UK can be found here: http://www.kidjo.com/tourdates
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com
Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Laura Thomas
(Photo: Ang茅lique Kidjo Credit: Fabrice Mabillot)
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- Thu 26 May 2022 11:06GMT麻豆约拍 World Service
- Thu 26 May 2022 17:06GMT麻豆约拍 World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Thu 26 May 2022 21:06GMT麻豆约拍 World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Fri 27 May 2022 02:06GMT麻豆约拍 World Service
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