On May 4th, three time Grammy nominated singer and composer Angelique Kidjo's latest project, "Oyaya!", was released in the U.S. by Columbia.

This is the third in her trilogy exploring the African Diaspora. Prior to Oyaya! "Black Ivory Soul" swayed to sounds from Brazil. Angelique co-wrote songs with some of Brazil's most successful pop music composers such as Carlinhos Brown. "Black Ivory Soul" won Afropop Worldwide's Top Ten Honors in 2002.

And before "Black Ivory Soul", "Oremi" kicked off this ambitious trilogy with songs showing Angelique's love of by American R&B that she grew up with, like many African artists of her generation.

This time around, "Oyaya" takes listeners to the Caribbean.

"Oyaya has to do with Caribbean music--Cuba, Haiti," Angelique said the day after debuting her new repertoire at her April Brooklyn Acadamy of Music concert. "Basically I follow the main routes of the music that the slaves brought with them. Calypso is in there (in Oyaya!). Merengue is in there. You have the Puerto Rican rhythm plena there. It's a work of research and traveling and listening to different types of music and comparing a lot them with modern music in Africa and seeing the link and the influence that it has had."

Some of the strongest songs on "Oyaya!" are the slow ones where Angelique's pathos rings loud and clear. There's one heartwrencher in particular, "N'Yin Wan Nou We," composed as a bolero.

Angelique says about this song, "In the morning or the evening we all use the words "I love you". At one point in our life we all said "I love you" to someone. Was it a game? Or was it a weapon? It's always like that. There's so much abuse that happens under the name of love that sometimes you have to ask yourself the question to know whether that love is really toward your person, or just a manipulation from your partner."

Other songs on "Oyaya" include the lighthearted Haitian compass flavored "Oulala". At her BAM show in April, Angelique invited on stage the guitarist, composer and arranger legend Beethoven Obas to perform "Oulala" with her new band. Sweet. The song "Conga Habanera" brings the sounds of Cuban rumba to her wide international following.

Not all songs are inspired by the Caribbean. "Mutoto Kwanza" comes from distant East Africa: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to be precise, where Angelique heard the phrase "Mutoto Kwanza" from HIV/AIDS orphans.

Angelique Kidjo told Afropop Worldwide: "The name of this song is "Mutoto Kwanza" which means "Children First." I had been telling UNICEF (Angelique is a spokesperson for UNICEF) I want to go into the field. So I had time two years ago to meet the children orphans of HIV/AIDS in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. And it was breathtaking. Because the numbers, I know them. But seeing it active, knowing that most of those kids won't survive, what can you say? What kind of speech can you give? When you know that inevitably they will die. And I was really discouraged. I was in my heart in pain. To just feel so hopeless and useless. That's when the kids stood up and started going "Mutoto Kwanza, Oye!…Mutoto Kwanza, Oye!" It was said with such a conviction. Such a belief. That I was like, "Wow. That is powerful." I mean they could hardly stand, yet they could find the strength to say that. And I asked, "What does that mean?" They said, "It means children first."…I made (the phrase) into music because that's the only way I can make their voices heard. More than doing speeches. So because of their positivity when I met them I can say that. There was nothing morbid about them. (They were saying) even if we're infected (with HIV), we're still alive and every moment we're alive, we're going to enjoy it and hope for a better day. That's why I decide not to do a sad song but to write a song that every kid in the world can dance on!"

And they sure can: "Mutoto Kwanza" pumps along with a rambunctious ska beat…another nod to the Caribbean, this time Jamaica.

Not every song on "Oyaya!" is a surefire winner, but there are plenty to make you happy. And as always, Angelique Kidjo is not content to stick with a formula. She continues to explore and to create in new sonic and cultural zones, and she is saying deep things in her lyrics that make you reflect on life and the shared tragedy and joy of it all.

Find Angelique Kidjo's new release "Oyaya!" in the Afropop Shop

contributed by Sean Barlow
Contributed by: Sean Barlow