Batonga is the first song I heard from her. Growing up in Haiti and listening to those songs!!!!....... Oh my god, you'll forget that you were Haitian, you'd think that you're in a village in Benin dancing,laughing and crying with your lost african brothers for that African blood in you will be flowing like a savage river in your veins and it will be hot even hotter than the carribean sun. I'm telling you, that song could take you to places that you would never imagined. I love Angelique and he
Well most south and America countries still practise many Nigerian /yoruba culture there ,as our ancestor we captives of slave trade and taken there many many years ago ...but they are all from Nigeria
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.
You got the final part of the story wrong. Olajumoke was escaping and the spirit overseeing Ori's house was the one singing informing ori of the escape
it's 2020 and I still love this song since age 5.I got to know this from our choreograoghy and simply got attached to it. Angelique is a bright and beautiful African star.
I had one of many former professional dance company dance instructors, and one instructor introduced us to the music, voice, and the joy of dancing to Angelique Kidjo. I also fell in love with Angelique Kidjo's music from choreography and dancing.
Got the chance to see her live for the second time and this chick is a BEAST on stage. She might be 53, but she moves as if she was in her 20s. Fantastic performer and an incredibly strong woman. This is what I call a role model!
I do really admire the rythim of the songs composed by you, the now Mamma Africa and the then queen of natural soul Africa. I was a little boy when 'Agolo song' hit the world and captured the hearts of many. Bravo Adjolique!
some people live all their lives. i do not know neither do i have any concrete idea where this genius comes from. i will say it thus: 'thank you, sister, thank you!
I fell in love with her in the early 90's. Agolo is and always has been one of my favorite songs. When I first heard it I was 14 years young. It took hold of my mind, body, and soul. Im 34 years young now and Agolo still has the same effect :-)
I love you Angelique. Agolo was the first song I heard when I went to Freetown, Sierra Leone. I never knew she was so beautiful... [whispering] nor did I know what the hell was being said until now:-))
This is for those asking for the meaning of what she's singing. The main verse is saying the following in Yoruba my first language: Mo ri o ri o Alajumoke nlo => I've seen you before......Alajumoke is going.. Mo ri o ri o Alajumoke => I've seen you before......Alajumoke is going... E maa se fo'ya l'eni => Thou should not be scared today Ife fun gbogbo wa e => Love for us all E maa se gbagbe ife => Thou shall not forget love Ife fun ile Baba wa => Love for our father land Ife aaye yi le => Love for this world is strong Igbadun fun wa eh => Enjoyment/Celebration for us all Agolo Agolo Agoloo.......
Just saw her last night here in Rio, awesome, possessed by a cheerful and restless spirit, paying homage to Mama Afrika - Miriam Makeba - and cheering up the audience to dance with her up on stage. Bliss!!
I used to listen to this song when I was still young, at the tender age of 7yrs, I could feel the vibes cut deep down to my bone marrows.... Agolo agolo agolo agolo all the way up...🇰🇪Represented officially...mwaaaaaah!!!!!......
Angelique Kidjo is a very soulful singer. Out of all her work, the hit song “Agolo” from her AYE album quite stands out to me. Much of the Yoruba lyrics is like a love song - a ballad about the importance of letting the world be bound together by love. The melodic chorus gives more power to the rendition. But I am sure these days nobody really gives a damn about what the chorus mean as long as the music remains dance-able. Ori Ori O , Olajumoke nlo Ori Ori O, Olajumoke nlo Those of us who grew up on nights of folktales at the feet of parents, uncles and aunties could still be familiar with the story behind this one. Oh, well old age and the ravages of life may have robbed some of these memories. I remember that I thought initially to include the story in my book of Yoruba folktales - The Kini-Kini Bird and more Yoruba Folktales, but I think I dropped it because there were already a couple of similar stories in the anthology. I may well include it in a future compilation. Nevertheless when researching The Foofoo Tree and more Efik Folktales I did observe that that a similar story existed in Efik folklore , and which did include in that volume. In any case, let me at this time dwell on the Yoruba instance of the story abridged as follows. Olajumoke was very vain girl, who spurned the advances of all the hard-working young men in the town, and never listened to her mother. One day she went to market as usual and there met the most handsome man she had ever seen in her life, and obviously was a stranger from another town. She resolved that this would be the man she would spend her life with, and would follow him to the end of the world. Her mother pleaded with her not to takes such a rash decision, but she turned a deaf ear and vowed to follow her newly-found lover. This she urgently did even in spite of repeated admonishment by the strange man to turn back and return home. Alas, the handsome stranger was from the land of evil spirits; who before coming to this market in the country of human beings had borrowed body part from several vendors along the way. And as he progressed back home he returned the parts to the owners - legs, arms, body, head until all that remained was just an ugly bare skull. At this point it was no more possible for the petrified Olajumoke to return home, and thus she became wife to the skull. In any case she still resolved in her mind to run away. However , the skull has placed a tortoise to watch over Olajumoke all day whenever it goes to the farm. And whenever Olajumoke thought she had an opportunity to escape, the tortoise would raise the song which we are now quite newly familiar with: Ori , ori o . Olajumoke nlo Ori, ori o , Olajumoke nlo Which Translates : Skull, Skull. Olajumoke is running away ! At which the Skull will hasten back home to prevent his wife from escaping. This went on for several months and perhaps years. But one day Olajumoke experienced an encounter with Wisdom. She made friend with the tell-tale tortoise whom she then made a great meal of ekuru (steamed bean pudding), which she knew was the tortoise’s favourite food . While the tortoise feasted greedily, Olajumoke fled. But this time, because the tortoise had its mouth full it was unable to sing the song to alert the skull that Olajumoke was fleeing. And that was how Olajumoke was able to return home to her mother, now quite contrite.
I know this music when I was so young, I always listen to it during lunch time MInaj Radio. Legend. Hit like if you are here after the Grammy 2020 and Yemi Alade Shekere
angelique sings in her native language in yoruba.this is the language of the ancient benin kingdom .more than 2500 years ago this kingdom use to comprise.todays togo.benin rep.western nigeria..this Africans immigrated all the way from ancient egypt.as the sahara beginings to emerge and droughts that destroyed their cattles and farm lands .they migrated to greener pastures in west Africa.there were no national boundaries then.europe didnt existed as it is but the paleskin man was 1000 years old and still in the dark ages. it was very babarian and way way backward.then.Africa was like heaven then.schools of learning. agriculture. gold mining. and trading.textile.religion and cities were flourishing.
Please re-learn your ancient history because what you are saying here is not true. It's the other way around. The Ancient Egypt cultures comes from Souther/Central Africa in fact there are more Pyramids in Sudan and Congo than in Egypt. The culture migrated north not the other way around. Our cultures in Central and South Africa are way older than the culture in the northern Africa. That was the end of our civilizations not the beginning.
afrique a un incroyable talent brings me here. merde je te connaissais pas Angelique Kidjo et je me rends bien compte que je connaissais pas suffisemment la music. et pour dire vrai t'es angelique
Agolo" in Fon language means "move out, make room" and announces the coming of a voodoo spirit. Agolo, the song, is a celebration of Mother Earth. It is a song of hope, a call to the good powers of nature and more particularly to Aidohouédo, the great rainbow snake, the messenger of love and tenderness who coils around the four cardinal points. (Prixars, 1995)
ori ori oo olajumoke nlo..my Grandma use to tell me this story when I was young..about Olajumoke and hw she was kidnaped by a mysterious beign with no body parts except his head only and each time she tried to sun away his guards call for him..and then my nan sings ori ori oo olajumoke nlo Meaning Head head your hostage olajumoke is running away)...kisses to all watching this in 2013...nolstagia!
Batonga is the first song I heard from her. Growing up in Haiti and listening to those songs!!!!....... Oh my god, you'll forget that you were Haitian, you'd think that you're in a village in Benin dancing,laughing and crying with your lost african brothers for that African blood in you will be flowing like a savage river in your veins and it will be hot even hotter than the carribean sun. I'm telling you, that song could take you to places that you would never imagined. I love Angelique and he
Same things always happen to me when I was small listening to this song....
Very spiritual
It was a very famous song in Chile, Southamerica. It was the main song of TV Serie Soundtrack. Great!!!!
oro verde XD
Well most south and America countries still practise many Nigerian /yoruba culture there ,as our ancestor we captives of slave trade and taken there many many years ago ...but they are all from Nigeria
Quincy Ileh not in Chile though
This is just wonderful. I had listened to the lyrics over and over, very captivating
I have all her CD, she is an amazing singer...love from Argentina
I never get tired of listening to Angelique Kidjo's music! She is a legend:P
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.
Babatunde Oyenuga very correct sir! You're an Oyenuga?
You got the final part of the story wrong. Olajumoke was escaping and the spirit overseeing Ori's house was the one singing informing ori of the escape
Wow
This is amazing
Babatunde Oyenug
Thank you
it's 2020 and I still love this song since age 5.I got to know this from our choreograoghy and simply got attached to it. Angelique is a bright and beautiful African star.
I had one of many former professional dance company dance instructors, and one instructor introduced us to the music, voice, and the joy of dancing to Angelique Kidjo. I also fell in love with Angelique Kidjo's music from choreography and dancing.
Dammmn!
The starting and how she shouted agoloo oo gives me chills
Got the chance to see her live for the second time and this chick is a BEAST on stage. She might be 53, but she moves as if she was in her 20s. Fantastic performer and an incredibly strong woman. This is what I call a role model!
I love this song it's one of the evergreen song,who is there with me hit the like button...
I saw her last weekend at Carnegie Hall for her 40 year anniversary. She was awesome. I wish I had her energy. What a kind person.
I do really admire the rythim of the songs composed by you, the now Mamma Africa and the then queen of natural soul Africa. I was a little boy when 'Agolo song' hit the world and captured the hearts of many. Bravo Adjolique!
Blessed Africa. Legends scattered everywhere. Respect ✊🏿 Angelique.
After more than 20 years looking this beautiful song I found it. I love it.
Eh là je pleure ,cette chanson me rappelle tellement mon enfance .... J'adore la chanson
some people live all their lives. i do not know neither do i have any concrete idea where this genius comes from. i will say it thus: 'thank you, sister, thank you!
thank you for being born, Angelique!! you are simply breathtaking, authentic and ageless!! inspiring! Love the song!! it will never die :)
I fell in love with her in the early 90's. Agolo is and always has been one of my favorite songs. When I first heard it I was 14 years young. It took hold of my mind, body, and soul. Im 34 years young now and Agolo still has the same effect :-)
One of my favorite Kidjo's songs when i was student.
Erebt Tbzhhy mine too,,I was around 9 -10 years old
I swear I can outdo most Nigerians/ Beninese natives singing to miss Angelique kidjo's music. I'm her biggest South African fan.
Pretty voice, pretty face & pretty mentality. That is we should call a nice African woman.
I love you Angelique. Agolo was the first song I heard when I went to Freetown, Sierra Leone. I never knew she was so beautiful... [whispering] nor did I know what the hell was being said until now:-))
😂
One of my daughter Zoe's favourites when she was 2 years old. One of mine, too.
My daughters name is Zoe as well, she is 7 and she also loves this song. :)
The instrumentalists are great. You can't help but vibe of what they are playing.
A great live version of "Agolo" (the best I've heard). Angelique is truly a gifted singer.
This is for those asking for the meaning of what she's singing.
The main verse is saying the following in Yoruba my first language:
Mo ri o ri o Alajumoke nlo => I've seen you before......Alajumoke is going..
Mo ri o ri o Alajumoke => I've seen you before......Alajumoke is going...
E maa se fo'ya l'eni => Thou should not be scared today
Ife fun gbogbo wa e => Love for us all
E maa se gbagbe ife => Thou shall not forget love
Ife fun ile Baba wa => Love for our father land
Ife aaye yi le => Love for this world is strong
Igbadun fun wa eh => Enjoyment/Celebration for us all
Agolo Agolo Agoloo.......
THanks Muyi Ibidun
Thank you.
Thank you Muyi. I appreciate that very much. The song is beautiful, as is Angelique, I wanted to know what she was singing.
Thanks... but what's Agolo mean?
Great performer!
Angelique’s music and beautiful spirit always makes me happy! If there is a god thank you for giving us Angelique Kidjo
I love the music , I was a kid when I first heard it , this beautiful music reminds me of my childhood....😍
South Africas favorite, still listening since 1996-2019
This is beautiful.....
Great song!Thanks Angelique....Blessings from Hungary........
Africa is the birthplace of man. You are all our fathers and mothers. It's time we remember and embrace that.
Just saw her last night here in Rio, awesome, possessed by a cheerful and restless spirit, paying homage to Mama Afrika - Miriam Makeba - and cheering up the audience to dance with her up on stage. Bliss!!
As an actress and dancer from Africa, this song is one that iuse to prepare myself before going on stage, very spiritual and inspirational
She is my best female artist on the continent of Africa.
I LOVE THIS WOMAN!!! TRUE MEANING TO A CONSUMMATE PERFORMER!!!
I used to listen to this song when I was still young, at the tender age of 7yrs, I could feel the vibes cut deep down to my bone marrows.... Agolo agolo agolo agolo all the way up...🇰🇪Represented officially...mwaaaaaah!!!!!......
Angelique Kidjo is a very soulful singer. Out of all her work, the hit song “Agolo” from her AYE album quite stands out to me. Much of the Yoruba lyrics is like a love song - a ballad about the importance of letting the world be bound together by love. The melodic chorus gives more power to the rendition. But I am sure these days nobody really gives a damn about what the chorus mean as long as the music remains dance-able.
Ori Ori O , Olajumoke nlo
Ori Ori O, Olajumoke nlo
Those of us who grew up on nights of folktales at the feet of parents, uncles and aunties could still be familiar with the story behind this one. Oh, well old age and the ravages of life may have robbed some of these memories. I remember that I thought initially to include the story in my book of Yoruba folktales - The Kini-Kini Bird and more Yoruba Folktales, but I think I dropped it because there were already a couple of similar stories in the anthology. I may well include it in a future compilation. Nevertheless when researching The Foofoo Tree and more Efik Folktales I did observe that that a similar story existed in Efik folklore , and which did include in that volume. In any case, let me at this time dwell on the Yoruba instance of the story abridged as follows.
Olajumoke was very vain girl, who spurned the advances of all the hard-working young men in the town, and never listened to her mother. One day she went to market as usual and there met the most handsome man she had ever seen in her life, and obviously was a stranger from another town. She resolved that this would be the man she would spend her life with, and would follow him to the end of the world. Her mother pleaded with her not to takes such a rash decision, but she turned a deaf ear and vowed to follow her newly-found lover. This she urgently did even in spite of repeated admonishment by the strange man to turn back and return home.
Alas, the handsome stranger was from the land of evil spirits; who before coming to this market in the country of human beings had borrowed body part from several vendors along the way. And as he progressed back home he returned the parts to the owners - legs, arms, body, head until all that remained was just an ugly bare skull. At this point it was no more possible for the petrified Olajumoke to return home, and thus she became wife to the skull.
In any case she still resolved in her mind to run away. However , the skull has placed a tortoise to watch over Olajumoke all day whenever it goes to the farm. And whenever Olajumoke thought she had an opportunity to escape, the tortoise would raise the song which we are now quite newly familiar with:
Ori , ori o . Olajumoke nlo
Ori, ori o , Olajumoke nlo
Which Translates :
Skull, Skull. Olajumoke is running away !
At which the Skull will hasten back home to prevent his wife from escaping. This went on for several months and perhaps years. But one day Olajumoke experienced an encounter with Wisdom. She made friend with the tell-tale tortoise whom she then made a great meal of ekuru (steamed bean pudding), which she knew was the tortoise’s favourite food . While the tortoise feasted greedily, Olajumoke fled. But this time, because the tortoise had its mouth full it was unable to sing the song to alert the skull that Olajumoke was fleeing. And that was how Olajumoke was able to return home to her mother, now quite contrite.
Well said. Bravo👍💯
Very amusing story 😂
She is so beautiful and strong!
2018 still listening to this music
I'm here in 2020
I know this music when I was so young, I always listen to it during lunch time MInaj Radio. Legend. Hit like if you are here after the Grammy 2020 and Yemi Alade Shekere
The song i always jumped to in the club..it was a big hit ..the dance then was called mez up...
enyo bleboo Togo
素晴らしいです。この曲大好きです❤❤
Anjelique Kidjo! One of the most talented and fun artists alive!
One and only in music here in Africa still trending forever Angelique i love the song here in Uganda 🇺🇬 😘🔥🔥
Su Voz Es Increíble, No Cambia Nada En Vivo... Es Como Escuchar Su Voz En El CD . Grande! Angelique Kidjo !
i love ANGELIQUÉ KIDJO
Love this n missed it. My childhood songs
I have always love this song !
Beautiful!!!
Сергей,спасибо за эту песнью!Она моя землячка:)
Love this song
The energy in her is super and this is what is called entertainment
angelique sings in her native language
in yoruba.this is the language of the
ancient benin kingdom .more than 2500 years ago this kingdom use to comprise.todays togo.benin rep.western nigeria..this Africans immigrated all the way from ancient egypt.as the sahara beginings to emerge and droughts that destroyed their cattles and farm lands .they migrated to greener pastures in west Africa.there were no national boundaries then.europe didnt existed as it is but the paleskin man was 1000 years old and still in the dark ages. it was very babarian and way way backward.then.Africa was like heaven then.schools of learning. agriculture. gold mining. and trading.textile.religion and cities were flourishing.
Please re-learn your ancient history because what you are saying here is not true. It's the other way around. The Ancient Egypt cultures comes from Souther/Central Africa in fact there are more Pyramids in Sudan and Congo than in Egypt. The culture migrated north not the other way around. Our cultures in Central and South Africa are way older than the culture in the northern Africa. That was the end of our civilizations not the beginning.
Kidjo is my best
Stunning! Everything is perfect! Really tight performance!😱
Killin'...Love it...Hope to see her soon...NICE!!!
beautiful song and wonderful singer!
Angelique Kidjo is wonderful.
long time memory as kids💖💖
cobyveron
:O I saw you on another african song
Elexie Munyeneh really? I love African music
GREAT VOICE!!! Always felt connected to this song and the symbolic happenings in the video. : )
afrique a un incroyable talent brings me here. merde je te connaissais pas Angelique Kidjo et je me rends bien compte que je connaissais pas suffisemment la music. et pour dire vrai t'es angelique
Yon vwa ki plen maji ki pou fe moon vwayage nan paradi.
Ayibobo!
Djenane.
dis song my gets me nostalgic with tears at d corners of my eyes
ive been listening to this song non stop for 3 days straight. holy shit
This live version is even better than recorded version. The extended end is killer!
I still love this like it was just released today,,, j'adore son voix
very proud to be African and Agolo" song takes all my sadness every time pay....love it
потрясающая женщина! талант, красота, энергетика - обожаю Анжелик!
j'adore..................
i love this so
great performance. Superb!!!!!!!!!!
Mi ricorderà sempre l'amore per l'Africa trasmesso da mio padre....e lei voce bellissima l'ho riscoperta dopo tanti anni...wow!!!
Woooow! I love this song! Makes me so happy'
Did someone say this woman is 54 yrs old?? She's awesome!
UpscalerUso alertas
para anuncios
More than that now
my best song ever
Beautiful! Angelique at her best!
Looking forward to seeing her @ The Festival At Sandpoint in Sandpoint, ID.
Love this! 💟
Best africain music
A QUEEN!!!
Great music!
Sheila Alves
Qui est ici en 2017?... l'Afrique à vraiment des talents. .. j'aime trop cette femme
Agolo" in Fon language means "move out, make room" and announces the coming of a voodoo spirit. Agolo, the song, is a celebration of Mother Earth. It is a song of hope, a call to the good powers of nature and more particularly to Aidohouédo, the great rainbow snake, the messenger of love and tenderness who coils around the four cardinal points. (Prixars, 1995)
This song gives happiness !!😃
Excellent song! Aww right Angelique Kidjo!
I love this!
Ki la regarde en 2018?
moi
2020 🥰
cant sit still, dancing.............
I love this song.
GREAT WORK
This woman is my mum. shout out to you from Ghana
I love this music, of Angelique's
asa et angelique kidjo:vous êtes super !!
Toda La Razon
todo un clásico de su música...genial !!!
I love this song
it’s 2021 and i’m still smocking this song
lovely
que cancion mas PRECIOSA. !! Buenisimo
no matter what shit mood i'm in this always brightens my day.
ori ori oo olajumoke nlo..my Grandma use to tell me this story when I was young..about Olajumoke and hw she was kidnaped by a mysterious beign with no body parts except his head only and each time she tried to sun away his guards call for him..and then my nan sings ori ori oo olajumoke nlo Meaning Head head your hostage olajumoke is running away)...kisses to all watching this in 2013...nolstagia!