Old rhythms of a new defiance

In France, people call Angelique Kidjo 'La Diabolique' but that is more a reference to her Grace Jones image than her music. As far as the latter is concerned, music critics have often been at a loss as to how to label Kidjo.

The West African-born singer is credited as Africa's funk diva, and her music is most likely to be found in the world music section of record stores.

While a lot of Kidjo's music is influenced by the sounds of her homeland, it is not exactly the kind of traditional African music one expects. Nor is it purely international pop.

Her music is a mixture of the rhythms and spirit of Africa blended with new grooves and vibes. And it is something that has made Kidjo a unique phenomenon in the music world.

Kidjo does not take kindly to being stereotyped. 'There are people who pretend that they know what you should do because you are from Africa, [but] that is racist,' she said over the telephone from France where she lives with her husband and daughter.

'These people who are white or from a rich country come and say . . . 'you're not supposed to talk and you're not supposed to be intelligent; you're not supposed to be doing the music you are doing. We have the right to come to Africa and take anything we like and put it in our music, but you can't do that'. Who are they to say that?' Being outspoken is par for the course for the Benin native who recently released her new album, Oremi. From a young age, her parents supported her efforts to be different. Her mother started the first theatre group in the country and recruited a hyperactive Kidjo into the troupe when she was six.