In 2024, Kidjo was in good company.
Though some women succeeded, including queen of AfrobeatsTiwa Savage,the genre was dominated by men.
Their ascendance in pop culture reminded us that there is no one way to sound or be African.
South African singer Tyla in New York in October
One could easily mistake a Tyla song for a pop song by any American pop singer.
But the simple fact is that performers from Africa are too often painted with too broad a brush.
On the flip side, their varying backgrounds have historically been lost.
Angelique Kidjo in New York in 1992.
And in both cases, they forced us to have tough conversations about nationality, race, and belonging.
French-Malian singer Aya Coco Danioko, aka Aya Nakamura, in Paris in April.
