From Africa to the Arcs of the OSM: Angélique Kidjo Bridges Worlds
Attending the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal’s recent performance was a sensory voyage through worlds both familiar and ancient. The evening opened with Janáček’s evocative The Cunning Little Vixen, moved into the spiritual weight of Philip Glass’s Ifé: Three Yorùbá Songs featuring the incomparable Angélique Kidjo, and culminated with the earthy beauty of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6. Each movement of the program felt like a continent of its own. However, it was Kidjo—queen of Benin and global music icon—who transported us to the mystical heart of Ifé. Her voice, deep and resonant like ancestral drums, turned Glass’s minimalist score into a living, breathing story of creation myths and divine deities. The songs, composed for her and drawn from sacred Yoruba texts, reminded us that the symphony is not only for European classics but also for channeling the sonic spirit of Africa.
My ears have been tuning in more and more to African vocal traditions lately. It started with Lubiana, a Cameroonian artist whose soulful kora playing and spiritual voice had me spellbound. I probably listened to her hit Farafina Mousso on repeat at the gym at nauseum. From there, I fell into the rich rhythms of Mali’s Oumou Sangaré, the hypnotic call of Zimbabwe’s Hope Masike, and the storytelling power of Kandia Kouyaté and Rokia Traoré. Each of these women stays true to their roots, weaving traditional instruments and languages into contemporary arrangements that still feel ceremonial.
Seeing Angélique Kidjo carry that same ancestral pulse into the heart of the OSM was affirming. It was like watching an oracle hold court in front of an orchestra.
I recently reconnected with the OSM during Nuit blanche, where I heard a mesmerizing Philip Glass piece performed on wooden xylophones. The room pulsed with youth, curiosity and color, a refreshing contrast to the usual sea of silver-haired caucasian concertgoers. That eclectic crowd reminded me that the symphony can and should evolve. At Best Kept Montreal, we are passionate about helping make that happen, inviting our audience into these high-art experiences that are far from inaccessible.
The OSM’s collaborations with global artists like Kidjo signal a vital shift, one where classical institutions open themselves to the world and, in doing so, make room for all of us. On the same night, the OSM announced that they had made their memberships more affordable for everyone, giving lower-income music lovers the same opportunity traditionally reserved for society’s upper echelons, long known as the only ones able to afford symphonies, ballets, and the opera…
In researching Angélique Kidjo’s collaborations with Philip Glass, I stumbled upon a true gem: her powerful performance in Glass’s Symphony No. 12, Lodger, based on the surreal poetry of David Bowie and Brian Eno, premiered in 2019.
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