There are three powerhouse women on the show today. Three-time Grammy Award winner, Angélique Kidjo, is one of the greatest artists in international music today, a creative force with thirteen albums to her name At home, in Paris, in her new home studio, she recorded her 15th album, Mother Nature, currently nominated for the 2022 Grammy. The album’s central focus is the global environmental crisis, and the album’s title track already has the feel of a classic.

After listening, some of you might conclude that this album is packed with socially charged messages. It’s impossible to not hear the call for action. Can socially or politically charged music sell? Angelique thinks that “it's about selling the story. Our human story. Everything is not beautiful. Nobody wakes up every day and everything is fine. You wake-up, you say, I'm OK. But you can't be OK every day. It is impossible. Then you are not a human being. I mean, look at Bob Marley. Bob Marley sold millions of albums. And all of his songs were packed with political messages.”

One of the tracks on the album is a new collaboration with Burna Boy - Do it Yourself. According to Kidjo, “you got to do yourself. This is real Africa. Don't mess up with us. Because if we Africans let things scatter, everything breaks. We have got to fix Africa. It's our home, our country, our continent, everything. We have to do it ourselves, do it yourself. Don't wait for somebody to come help you build your own house.”

“Mother Nature,” released in 2021, showcases a new generation of African talent, with contributions from the Nigerian pop giants Burna Boy and Mr. Eazi, the Zambian rapper Sampa the Great and more. some writing help from her daughter, Naima.

Time Magazine has named Angélique Kidjo to their list of 100 Most Influential People of 2021. “The grace she exudes toward her fellow creators, and to humankind, is a reflection of her vibrancy, kindness, and generosity. Angélique is as real as they come.”— ALICIA KEY

I added a Brazilian powerhouse to this episode. Elza Soares, 91, who pushed the boundaries of Brazilian music.  In 2016, her “A Mulher do Fim do Mundo” (“The Woman at the End of the World”) won a Latin Grammy for best Brazilian popular music album. She died on January 20th, 2022.

Lastly, I am featuring a couple of songs from Couleur, Dobet Gnahoré’s sixth album. Couleur has all the fearlessness and energy of a first album but in fact marks the rejuvenated spirit of a returning warrior.

Ready? Set? Hit play!