Popular Beninese singer Angelique Kidjo has shared her views on musicians using their music to praise or promote politicians and political parties.
The Grammy-winning artist explained that she does not create music for politicians, noting that political power is fleeting and that an artist who aligns with a regime risks losing relevance after a change in leadership.
Speaking in a recent episode of the Female Poets Society podcast, Kidjo encouraged her fellow musicians to be voices of the people, not voices of power.
“My father always used to say to us, especially to me as a singer: do not write music for any political party because they come and they go, and once they’re gone, you go with it.
“Write your music with your opinions; be free in your writing. Don’t sell yourself to someone, because then you no longer become the voice of the people—you become the voice of power. And when that power shifts, you’re out the window,” she recalled.
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