Angelique Kidjo: Djin Djin

Beninese singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo's cover of "Mysterious Ways" was the stand out track on the recent tribute collection In The Name Of Love: Africa Celebrates U2. The music on her 2007 release Djin Djin has a similar rhythmic African pop style. The title of the album refers to a bell that sounds at daybreak in parts of Africa. Joss Stone, Carlos Santana, Branford Marsalis, Josh Groban, Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, Amadou and Mariam, and Ziggy Marley join Kidjo on the disc.



The opener "Ae Ae" is fiercely jubilant, as Kidjo's unparalleled wails and the joyous chants of her South African backing choir bounce along with the buoyant arrangement. "Djin Djin" is a slower, mellow groove that blends a touch of jazz - courtesy of Branford Marsalis' saxophone and Alicia Keys' soulful vocal accompaniment - into Kidjo's signature African rhythms.

British singer Joss Stone duets on a cover The Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter", but her voice seems glaringly out of place amid the heady mix of exotic percussion and horns accented by Angélique's keens. Peter Gabriel does a much better job of holding his own on "Salala", as his raspy vocals harmonize well with Kidjo's on the track that he co-wrote with her.

The peals of Carlos Santana's guitar caress Kidjo's voice throughout "Pearls", which also features operatic crooner Josh Groban. Groban's otherwise lovely voice initially seems as ill-fitting as Stone's, but finally falls into place as his howls rise to meet Angélique's toward the end.

Ziggy Marley adds some Reggae flare to "Sedjedo", but again it is the Beninese diva and her backing chorus that steal the scene before fully taking the spotlight on "Papa" and the strikingly beautiful "Arouna". Kidjo's haunting cries rip into "Emma" before the song softens into a balmier melody. The album closes with "Lonlon", Angélique's mesmeric African metamorphosis of Ravel's "Bolero".

Angélique Kidjo (feat. Peter Gabriel) - Salala (mp3 expired)

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In the Name of Love: Africa Celebrates U2

On April 1st, Shout Factory (the company that brought us the My So-Called Life DVD set) released the wonderful In the Name of Love: Africa Celebrates U2 CD. The album features twelve songs originally recorded by Irish band U2 as interpreted by African artists such as Angélique Kidjo, Vieux Farka Touré, Les Nubians, and Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars. Though called a tribute to U2, the covers were more directly inspired by lead singer Bono's efforts to focus attention on and bring aid to people in Africa.



The opening cover of "Mysterious Ways" by Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo is by far the best track on the album. So much so that I would probably have been more satisfied if Kidjo had performed all of the songs on the disc. I'd be particularly interested in hearing her gorgeous voice tackle "Sunday Bloody Sunday".

The other true stand out tracks are South Africa's Soweto Gospel Choir's thrilling choral presentation of "In The Name Of Love" and the exquisite final cover of "Love Is Blindness" by Angolan singer Waldemar Bastos. I didn't think anyone could top Cassandra Wilson's soulful version on New Moon Daughter, but Waldemar's quivering voice (similar to Antony's) give the ballad even more feeling.

Malian singer Vieux Farka Touré's rhythmic, harmonica laced version of "Bullet The Blue Sky" is also an attention grabber. South African singer-songwriter and poet-activist Vusi Mahlasela's croon of "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" is beautiful and full of emotion, and the rich voice of Senegal's Cheikh Lô is accompanied by warm percussion and acoustics on "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".

Other tracks - such as Guinean band Ba Cissoko's atmospheric electronic take on "Sunday Bloody Sunday", Nigerian musician Tony Allen's brassy sway on "Where The Streets Have No Name", and especially Nigerian singer Keziah Jones' rendition of "One" - are all quite good, yet I feel that the poignancy of the original songs were somewhat lost in the buoyant nature of these reworked arrangements. But that's a minor complaint in light of the overall magnificence of this tribute.

I was not granted permission to share an mp3, but you can hear samples of all of the tracks at the link below. Proceeds from the sale of the album will benefit the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

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