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Angélique Kidjo

6 March 2024

In the Concert Hall

Contemporary Music

Five-time Grammy Award-winner Angélique Kidjo brings her new album Mother Nature alongside her 40-year career-spanning catalogue as one of Africa’s best-known artists.

Before Angélique Kidjo's performance, the Concert Hall Northern Foyers will be transformed into an African Bazaar. Collaborating with local artists there will be a live percussion workshop with the talented Lucky Lartey, stalls from Ki-Simba and The Social Outfit plus an African-themed selfie wall and drinks to set the tone before Angélique takes the stage.

A proudly pan-Africanist musical vision that celebrates the power of community.

Pitchfork

Celebrating 40 Years

Few musical artists can boast a career as rich and remarkable as that of Angélique Kidjo. Across a career spanning four decades, the Benin-born singer, songwriter and global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador has brought her polyrhythmic sonic vision to bear on a dazzling array of musical styles, fusing the West African traditions of her childhood in Benin with elements of American R&B, funk and modal jazz, alongside influences from Europe and Latin America. Her striking voice, stage presence and adventurous spirit have been constants across 16 acclaimed albums, from her 1981 debut Pretty through her chart-topping ’90s smashes Logozo and Ayé and 2021’s Mother Nature, a captivating celebration of the African musical diaspora. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Kidjo has collaborated with the likes of Philip Glass, Peter Gabriel, Alicia Keys, Branford Marsalis and local hero Sampa The Great, recorded an astonishing Afrocentric version of Talking Heads’ classic Remain in Light, and serves as an Ambassador for both UNICEF and OXFAM.

Five years after her last headline performance, Kidjo will return to the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall for one night only. Don’t miss this joyous celebration with this unstoppable creative force.

Sydney Opera House Presents by arrangement with Adelaide Festival

NSW Government

This program is proudly supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW’s Blockbusters Funding initiative

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African Bazaar in the Concert Hall Northern Foyer

Before Angélique Kidjos performance, the Concert Hall Norther Foyer will be filled with the vibrant energy of an African Bazaar. The foyers will be alive with a percussion workshop with the talented Lucky Lartey plus stalls from Ki-Simba and The Social Outfit. As you sip on your choice of African teas or beverages immerse yourself in the African Bazaar with an African-themed selfie wall courtesy of Cate Predestined events as well as a specially curated African playlist. Together let’s celebrate culture, community and the magic of music.

The Social Outfit

TSO is a fashion label with a difference. Our social enterprise charity provides employment and training to people from refugee backgrounds and new migrant communities via our ethical manufacturing studio and retail store. We build skills in a supportive environment and provide first Australian jobs.

Our goal is to manufacture and sell ethical and sustainable quality products that help to financially empower people from refugee and new migrant backgrounds, with a particular focus on female humanitarian migrants. While doing that, we also aim to provide customers with unique pieces that tell amazing human stories.

70% of our activities go into running our clothing store and workroom, where we provide employment opportunities for refugees and new migrants in ethical clothing manufacturing and retail. 30% of our work goes towards running free training and education programs that expand social connections and provide positive experiences for refugees and new migrants.

A group of three women standing together in a room with colourful spools hanging on the wall behind them.
Lucky Lartey

Lucky Lartey is a Sydney-based dancer and choreographer at the forefront of exploring intercultural dance practices as part of the contemporary dance space in Australia.

Born in Ghana, West Africa Lucky’s dance and choreographic work draws on a rich history of traditional rhythm and dance whilst engaging with contemporary movement practices and contemporary art forms. 

Lucky’s work traverse’s themes of social justice, identity, movement inspired by African architecture, the exotification of non-Western bodies and subjectivities and the relationship between hip hop culture and African oral traditions.

Lucky’s recent choreographic works include: BlackLux: Perspectives in timelapse (2022) – an interdisciplinary work using dance, photography and animation (Sydney Festival 2023, Sydney Fringe & Art Gallery of NSW, 2022), Exoticism (2022) a solo work developed as part of the Keir Choreographic Award, and Infusion – No Movement No Sound (2021) an intercultural work that premiered at the Opera House.

A person jumping in the air with their hands raised and legs crossed.
Ki-Simba

Ki-Simba, an exhilarating Sydney based fashion brand, stands at the intersection of tradition and modernity, weaving the rich tapestry of traditional African fashion into the vibrant fabric of contemporary style. 

Embracing the kaleidoscope of colourful African textiles, Ki-Simba infuses its designs with a burst of life and energy, creating a visual symphony that captivates the senses. What sets Ki-Simba apart is not just its stunning creations but the heart and soul behind the brand—the deeply involved family that breathes life into every stitch and pattern. Rooted in a passion for heritage, the Congolese family behind Ki-Simba channels their collective creativity to produce fashion that tells a story, bridging the gap between generations and cultures. With each piece, Ki-Simba invites you on a journey where tradition dances harmoniously with modern flair, creating an exciting and dynamic narrative that transcends time and style.

A group of people sitting or standing against a patterned fabric backdrop, wearing colourful, patterned clothing.

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