Batonga! How a made-up word guided Angélique Kidjo’s life
When singer Angélique Kidjo was bullied as a schoolgirl, she made up a word - Batonga! - meaning “Leave me alone, I'll do what I want.” It became the touchstone of her life.
When singer Angélique Kidjo was bullied as a schoolgirl in Benin, West Africa, she made up a word - Batonga! It meant “Leave me alone, I'll do what I want.” 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. Angélique 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 Angélique Kidjo's upcoming tour of Europe and the UK can be found here: http://www.kidjo.com/tourdates
Get in touch: [email protected]
Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Laura Thomas
(Photo: Angélique Kidjo Credit: Fabrice Mabillot)
Last on
Broadcasts
- Thu 26 May 202211:06GMTBBC World Service
- Thu 26 May 202217:06GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Thu 26 May 202221:06GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Fri 27 May 202202:06GMTBBC World Service
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