A little taste of some fusion pop sounds a few years ago had left a decidedly ho hum impression, but I was apparently listening to the wrong artists. Angelique Kidjo of Benin has just been nominated for a Grammy award in the Best Contemporary World Music Album category for her album Djin Djin, and this CD was a fortuitous discovery.
I downloaded most of the songs from Djin Djin this week-end, after seeing the YouTube video of Kidjo and Joss Stone singing a cover duet of "Gimme Shelter." Mick and Keith must be dancing all the way to the bank. Others have covered this rock n' roll classic, which many in my generation still believe to be the best rock song ever written, but until this cover came along there was always a question of why anyone would bother to cover it. Why re-make an Alfred Hitchcock film? Kidjo and Stone interpret this song anew, give it a distinctive shape, and might make you jump up from your computer and dance. The music video briefly applies the lyrics to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, a human rights cause for which Kidjo has been a prominent campaigner.
Djin Djin was released this past spring but passed me by until the Grammy nominations last week. Other singers, in addition to Stone, who perform with Kidjo on this CD include Alicia Keys & Branford Marsalis, Peter Gabriel, Amandou & Mariam, Carlos Santana & Josh Groban, and Ziggy Marley. I skipped the Groban song; his crooning anthems do not appeal to me; I just do not care for that style. Kidjo's take on Ravel's "Bolero" also did not get downloaded here; no amount of money would make me listen to "Bolero" again, no matter how creative the arrangement or talented the singer, but the 11 other songs are all keepers. I love the beat, the melodies, the slick blend of African and Western sounds, the emotive power of the music, and Kidjo's rich and expressive voice.
She is up against some stiff competiton for the Grammy, including Loreena McKennitt who appears to be selling boatloads of albums these days. Three of the top 14 international albums downloaded at emusic are McKennitt's, and going down the international chart at emusic, I find 3 more of hers in the top 40 albums. Her special on PBS earlier this year was enjoyable, and she is a serious contender for the award. The three other nominees are Brazilian, and their breezy, whispery, jazzy styles may cancel each other out in the voting. Gilberto Gil (current Minister of Culture of Brazil) has already won two World Music Grammies. The other nominees, Bebel Gilberto and Céu, make pleasing music, but in this deep field I would choose Kidjo.
In addition to "Gimme Shelter," several other songs are featured on her MySpace page. Check out "Senamou," which is typical of the music on Djin Djin.
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