Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo (ˈkɪdʒoʊ born July 14, 1960), known as Angélique Kidjo, is a five-time Grammy Award winning Beninese singer-songwriter, actress, and activist who is noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. Kidjo was born into a family of performing artists. Her father was a musician, and her mother worked as a choreographer and theatre director.
In 2007, Time magazine called her "Africa's premier diva. She performed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony on July 23, 2021. On September 15, 2021, Time included her in their list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Comments and Meaning
The real meaning of the lyrics of this song is deeper than the very few verses that Angelique Kidjo sang. The wordings are from a popular Yoruba nation folklore about Olajumoke, a beautiful young damsel who refused all suitors until a lone dashing mysterious rich young man (very many adjectives here :-)) came along, bearing gifts.
The parents had misgivings about the man who had no courting entourage, as they could find out nothing about his family origins or the source of his wealth.
Against her parent's better judgement she fell head over heels in love and decided to marry the man. After the marriage, as was the custom, it was time to go with her man and that was when the drama unfolded for her and she sang this song, a desperate cry for help, but it was too late. Why? The man was a spirit being and is made of only a head ('ori' in Yoruba language) with borrowed body parts.
The family members will normally go part of the way with a bride to see her safely on her way, but as they progressed on the journey to the underworld, home of the spirit man, he started returning the borrowed bits to the owners. Olajumoke was mortified, she sang and sang but she was beyond redemption, the deal had been sealed. The song was addressing her family members that Ori (head personified) is taking her (Olajumoke) away!!!
As usual with African folklores, there is a moral in the story for anyone who is discerning.
Lyrics below
Agolo
Morio orio
I just saw
Ola djou monké n'lo
the face of the god
Ola djou monké
of love and
Ola djou monké n'lo
Tenderness passing my window
At this moment don't despair, let's think
Eman tché foya lénin
Of the love that mother earth offers us
Ifé foun gbogbo ayé
If we are generous, she will make our
Eman tché gbagbé ifé
Future prosperousLove, life, mother earth
Ifé foun ilé baba wa
Love, life, Africa motherland
Ifé ayé ilé
Enjoy the benefits of mother earth
Igbahoun foun ayé
Agolo agolo agolo agolo
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