I am Nigerian from Oyo state – Angelique Kidjo

Angelique Kidjo, a multiple Grammy Award winner, has said her mother revealed to her that she is a Nigerian, from Iseyin, a town in Oyo State.

Kidjo, 61, revealed in a recent interview with Smooth FM in Lagos State.

Although born in Benin Republic, the singer explained that her mother claimed that she has lots of relatives in Nigeria even though she doesn’t visit them often.

“My Mum told me that I am from Iseyin because when my grandfather’s great great great great father came back from Brazil, they found their roots in Iseyin.

“From my mother’s side, we have always been from Nigeria. So we have families in Abeokuta, Ibadan, Lagos, everywhere, I have cousins I haven’t seen a million years that I miss a lot”, she said.

She stated that she was not only interested in singing about the beauty of the continent, but also in demonstrating the joy that Africans exude.

“It’s just that I love to sing. I love to bring Africa to the world. The beauty of Africa, not the music that people are very content about seeing and talking about.

“Africa is not about that because I grew up in a country that is poor, but people were very happy,” she added.

Kidjo said that she wants the world to see how powerful African women are.

“The women of Africa are the backbone of this continent and they are beautiful. So, I want the world to see that”, Kidjo stated.