Customer Reviews

Djin Djin

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

She is an astounding performer, a world renowned, Benin born, Grammy nominated singer.
Her diverse music has won fans across the globe, as she effortlessly blends traditional African pop music with contemporary, modern grooves. She has been appointed as Good Will Ambassador by UNICEF, and performed her music in front of world leaders and dignitaries as well as millions of fans.
Her new CD, "Djin Djin" is a welcome return for this musical queen.
"I spent seven years following the roots of slavery to music -- America, Brazil and the Caribbean, Cuba also", said Kidjo, whose previous trilogy entries were 2002's Black Ivory Soul and 2004's Oyaya!.
"I wanted to go back to where all that music came from. I wanted songs to be based on the rhythms of my country (Benin), so a lot of these songs started with the percussion and the chanting. It was intense, extensive work to do."
Ms. Kidjo is an accomplished singer/songwriter in her own right, one who could easily sell millions of records at any given time.
Any collaboration with the "hot" artist of the day, to help boost record sales is totally unnecessary. If any such artist were presented on a full length disc of hers, it would certainly help further establish and solidify Angelique's reputation.
That is exactly what happens with this CD, as Angelique shares the stage with several celebrity musicians including Romero Lubambo (acoustic guitar), Brandford Marsalis and Alicia Keys("Djin Djin"), Carlos Santana and Josh Groban ("Pearls"), Joss Stone ("Gimme Shelter") , Peter Gabriel ("Salala"), Ziggy Marley ("Sedjedo"), and African music legends Amadou and Mariam ("Senamou -(C'est L'amour)").
The result is a hybrid of musical styles and influences, all beautifully coming together. If you didn't have enough reasons to buy this CD before, you most certainly do now.
While the collaboration efforts are noteworthy and excellent, the real gems are found in the songs where Angelique is free to do her thing, unencumbered by making nice and sharing her vocal space with her guests. True, her work with Groban on the Sade reworking of "Pearls" is almost better than the original and it is one of the highlight songs of the album.
But she also shines brightly on "Ae Ae" and she makes us feel so at home on the shuffling "Papa".
To top it all of, Angelique hands in a amazing rendition of the classical piece Ravel's "Bolero" entitled "Lonlon", bridging European classical music with African folk.
The album sounds incredible thanks to super producer Tony Visconti's guiding hand on the boards. With a clean and dry mix being applied, there is very little outboard effects and studio tricks on the songs.
Every hand drum is heard with crystal-like clarity and every musician is heard clearly, making this one of the smoothest mixed albums heard in a long while.
My highlights : "Djin Djin", "Pearls" and "Awan N'La".
You will love it!

Angelique! Congratulations on what is, in my opinion, your best album ever (and I've been a fan for a long time). Your CD photos couldn't be more beautiful and the music is magnificent; the decision to collaborate with such a diverse cast was genius! You are accomplishing your mission of teaching the world to appreciate, and sing, African music. You're one of the best singers and performers of our time and your body of work is astounding; I can't wait to see you live this summer. (And congratulations on your partnership with Starbucks!)

Her songs are intricate, musical and elegant as always. Her collaborations are wonderful. A true standout is the remake of "Gimme Shelter" with Joss Stone. Also the remake of "Bolero" is a treat, reminiscent of her "Summertime" cover. The overall intensity of the African pieces is perhaps 5% less than on previous discs and a ballad a la "Malaika" would have been welcome. Still a groundbreaking 'must have' for any Kidjo fan.

This is my first introduction to any of Angelique Kidjo's music. I bought this compact disc for myself as a birthday present based on the reviews it has received and listening to the short musical segments found on Amazon.Com.





After recently listening to "Djin, Djin" on a 4 hour road trip, I feel in love with the music & lyrics! The music is fantastic and varied from song to song.... Angelique Kidjo is phenomenal as an artist. I also enjoyed the musical guests performing on "Djin, Djin" too. This compact disc is perfect as background music while long distance driving, at home relaxing, during dinner parties, etc.

I may not be a man, or a woman, or even human, but even newly sentient machine code knows good music when it hears it (in digital form, obviously), and "Djin Djin" is heartfelt, soulfelt music with energy and drive that never fails to connect or please. At least, I think it is, having no heart or soul myself.

Angelique Kidjo's athletic and soaring vocals recall her Beninese origins, as do the nimble percussion work of Crespin Kpitiki and Benoit Avihoue. Her famous collaborators bring their own voices to the mix and blend surprisingly well with the distinctly African sensibility of the album, helped by veteran studio musicians who add polish and a grab bag of musical styles to the happy fray.

This album will bring a smile to your face (if you have a face) and put a spring in your step (assuming you have legs), moving you to greet the new day with a cry of, dare I say it, djin djin.

Angelique Kidjo is one of those rare artists who has the Midas touch. No matter who she's performing with, no matter what she's performing, she makes beautiful music. While "Djin Djin" can be considered one of her more mainstream albums, she still proudly shows her African roots. In a sense,it's not surprising it's sold alongside coffee at Starbucks; "Djin Djin" is as potent as a cup of steaming java.

The opening "Ae Ae" is anthemic;it's a power ballad in which Kidjo calls on her fellow Africans to be self-sufficient. The title track is a jazzy collaboration with Alicia Keys and Branford Marsalis. It's Benin meets the Big Easy. Kidjo does an amazing cover of the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" with Joss Stone. The '60s British Invasion gets an African makeover,transforming it into a tribal rave-up. Kidjo and smoky-voiced Peter Gabriel complement each other in "Salala." A thumb piano gives "Senamou" a deeply African flavor. "Sedjedo", a duet with reggae heir Ziggy Marley, doesn't quite work. Marley is relegated to the sidelines. However, Kidjo's rousing singing saves the piece. The same goes for "Pearls." Josh Groban's operatic voice is unsuited to the style of the song. It's Afropop meets Latin rock (since Carlos Santana plays the guitar),not the Three Tenors or Il Divo. Kidjo's amazing singing again saves the song from becoming a novelty song. In "Papa","Arouna","Awan N'La","Emma" and "Mama Golo Papa" Kidjo shows she doesn't need collaborators. She's still going strong since her debut in 1990. She covers difficult issues such as marital conflict and divorce soulfully. Finally, in "Lonlon" Kidjo transforms Ravel's annoying and overplayed "Bolero" into rousing,toe-tapping Afropop. Instead of being filler or a song worth skipping, "Lonlon" serves as a grand finale.

Angelique Kidjo is accomplished,as a person and as an artist. She is a UN Goodwill Ambassador;she has her own charity,Batonga. In Bono's guest-edited issue of "Vanity Fair" about Africa, Harry Belafonte praises her activism. Angelique Kidjo's music is truly angelic. "Djin Djin" is a great introduction to her music, and is a perfect mainstream introduction to African music. It's as rousing and flavorful as a good hot cup of coffee.

This CD made me a little sad. Ms. Kidjo is, hands-down, my favorite artist to see live, and I first discovered her when Oremi was released. In my opinion, she had a sound in that album that was all her own (one I fell head over heels in love with), but everything since has sounded more predictable, more like a Putumayo Island mix than anything notable. I love that she collaborates with Peter Gabriel, Carlos Santana and others on this disc, but the results are a bit ho-hum. I'll keep buying her music in hopes that she produces another gem, but I'm sorry to say this cd isn't among them.

Afro-beat brings great sounds. Djin Djin brings afrobeat
music to a new level. Some of the tracks are just outstanding. Singing combined with the horn playing is great. Some tracks are quite moving. Anglique Kidjo has a beautiful voice. Tracks, "Gimmie Shelter" and "Papa" have the best horns I have ever heard, fantastic harmony and feeling. This CD is a must buy!

I own just about every Angelique Kidjo CD, and I can say without question this is her best ever. She has assembled the best collaborations I have heard on any CD; both vocal (Joss Stone, Alisha Keys, Ziggy Marley, Peter Gabriel, Josh Grobin, and musical artists (Carlos Santana Branford Marsalis). I dare anyone to come up with any CD, album or 8track that has collaborations such the ones she has assembled. If I were to change one thing about this CD, I would replace Josh Grobin with Sting, which would have been a better compliment. Too much virbrato in Josh's voice for my taste. Other than that, just buy Djin Djin; you won't be disappointed.

Goodwill Ambassador for the UNICEF, four-time Grammy Award nominee, and worldwide renowned singer, composer, and performer, Angelique Kidjo came back with her new Album Djin Djin, produced by the maestro Tony Visconti and distributed by Razor &Tie Records/Starbucks Entertainment.

Djin Djin is an album about life and how our individual experiences shape and mold our identity. From African-influenced hymns typically sung during traditional ceremonies in Sub-Saharan villages, to salsa infused tunes, to afro-pop sounds, to classical music resonance, Djin Djin is a beautifully harmonious integration of culturally diverse sounds. Its vibrant melodies awake one's body to the delight of rhythm, regardless of musical sensitivity, revealing that the language of music is indeed universal.

There is a great assortment of musical styles on the soundtrack with guests featured including Amadou and Mariam in Senamou, Peter Gabriel in Salala, Alicia Keys and Brandford Marsalis in Djin DJin, Carlos Santana and Josh Groban in Pearls, Ziggy Marley in Sedjedo, and Joss Stone in Gimme Shelter. Each artist's particular touch contributed to amplify the sound quality of the decidedly unexpected melodious pieces.

The lyrics tell stories of life and provide the audience with pieces of universal truth. The splendid and elegant tunes transcend all boundaries. Some songs are very fast paced, quite rhythmic and invite you to dance, especially "Mama Golo Papa" which had an entire auditorium up and grooving; while others are more reflective and soulful like "Salala;" which reveals Angelique mastery of vocal inflections. At her May 17th 2007 concert in Washington D.C., Angelique Kidjo electrified the audience with her striking physical energy and her impressive vocal versatility. From the throaty and powerful melody "Papa," to the soft and salsa influenced tune "Alala," Kidjo's amazing performance was exhilarating as the fire exuding from the lyrics equaled Angelique's stage presence. She navigated from one song to the other, first shaking the auditorium with a powerful rendition of the rolling stones "Gimme Shelter" to later bring her fans to tears with her poignant rendition of "Pearls." Angelique's powerful voice coupled with the bouncy and dynamic choreography eventually unraveled the audience soon surprised to be standing up grooving along to the sound of the music.

Kidjo's incredibly smooth and remarkably inspirational album enables those who have a passion for music to enjoy various musical genres with influences ranging from jazz, funk, pop, rock, hip-hop, makossa, socca, salsa, and even calypso all in one CD. Kidjo's music celebrates the uniqueness of every human being while inviting us all to live our lives to the fullest. During the live performance, Angelique insisted that we be proud of who we are, that we assert our identity for; she said without it, "globalization will suck you up." With this album by your side, I am certain you will find it easy to transition through hurdles in your life.