Angelique Kidjo, a singer from Benin, was awarded the prestigious Polar Music Prize in 2023, alongside Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records, and Estonian composer Arvo Part.
Kidjo, a five-time Grammy winner, was praised by the Swedish Polar Music Prize organizers as “one of the greatest singer-songwriters in international music.”
She sings in Fon and Yoruba languages, as well as in French and English, and is known for hits such as “Agolo” and “We We.”
Blackwell, who founded Island Records in Jamaica, signed legendary artists like Bob Marley, Cat Stevens, Roxy Music, and U2.
Part, described by the jury as “the world’s most performed living composer,” invented the compositional technique tintinnabuli in the 1970s.
The Polar Music Prize, founded in 1989 by former ABBA manager Stig Anderson, honored Iggy Pop and US songwriter Diane Warren in the previous year.
The laureates will receive their 600,000 kroner ($58,000) prize at a ceremony in Stockholm on May 23.
Article updated 1 week ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
