Angélique Kidjo: Musicians Should Stay Away From Endorsing Politicians
Renowned vocalist Angélique Kidjo talked about why she believed artists shouldn’t support political parties.
In an interview on Talk to Al Jazeera, Kidjo explained, “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 go, and once they’re gone, you go with it.”
“Write your music with your opinion, be free in writing your music… don’t be sold to somebody 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.”
“The thing I always say to western people who have had freedom all these years is that you take it for granted… in a heartbeat it can be taken away from you. If you’ve never lost it, you don’t know how it feels.”
Additionally, Kidjo voiced alarm over the brittleness of freedom, especially in the West.
She stressed that when freedom is threatened, both citizens and musicians must speak up since remaining silent could ultimately result in everyone losing their freedom.
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