Kidjo describes S.A. concert as fun

Angelique Kidjo doesn't hold back her enthusiasm.
When asked how her current tour with heartthrob vocalist Josh Groban is going, she says, Great! Really great, great, great.

And when asked what people can expect from her concert in San Antonio next week?
It's going to be fun, fun, fun, she says. Oh, we're going to have some fun.

Kidjo, who has been nominated for four Grammys, is opening for Groban on Thursday, March 22, at the AT T Center. The pair has been on tour since February, and there's a lot of love here, Kidjo says.
No, not like that.

Just lots of fun, Kidjo says. We're having fun. He has a goofy sense of humor, and we laugh.

Groban is one of many musical heavyweights appearing on Kidjo's upcoming album, Djin Djin. The album, which will be released May 1, boasts a veritable who's who of guest artists Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, Joss Stone, Carlos Santana and Ziggy Marley.
Djin Djin, pronounced gin-gin, is a reference to the call of bells that announces the morning in parts of Africa.

Kidjo, who was born in the west African country of Benin before moving to Paris, seems to effortlessly blend vocal, dance, pop, funk and ambient music into her unique cocktail of sound.
She calls it music.
That's all it is, just music, she says.

Off the road and out of the studio, Kidjo serves as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, and she particularly enjoys her work with women and children in Africa. She was closely involved with a youth center in Ethiopia, and relished being able to see her efforts change a community.
(Women and girls) talk to me about what they need and want from UNICEF, Kidjo says.

The first time I met these girls, it was a huge burden on my shoulders. They just want to be empowered. (Helping them) makes me feel strong, empowered.

When this tour wraps in April, Kidjo will focus on her album's release, and then, she hopes, return to Africa. In the meantime, she's just looking forward to leaving Connecticut, where we caught up with her, and coming to San Antonio. I'm so happy I get to go there, she says.

It's freezing here!